Export of medical devices from Russia

• Russia's Foreign Trade
• Medical Devices Market in Russia
• Export of medical devices from Moscow

2023: Reduction in 4-year medical apparel exports by 98%

During 2019-2023, the export of reusable medical clothing from Russia decreased by 98%, amounting to only 217 products by the end of the period under review. This is stated in a study by BusinesStat, the results of which were released on March 14, 2024.

Statistics take into account sales of clothing for the health sector such as trousers, hats, suits and kits, shirts, tops, blouses, robes, skirts, dresses, overalls and jackets. Among the largest Russian manufacturers of ukzan products are Fakel-Overalls, Biser, Istok-Prom, Odintsovo Garment Factory and Ivanovo Textile Company. At the same time, the review does not take into account personal protective equipment, which includes masks, gloves, aprons, etc.

According to estimates, in 2019, the export of reusable medical clothing from the Russian Federation amounted to approximately 7.99 units. In 2020, a sharp decline followed: deliveries to foreign customers fell by 94.1% - to 0.47 thousand units. This is primarily due to the failures of world supply chains in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2021, an increase of 398.7% was recorded on an annualized basis - up to 2.34 thousand units. The rise was due to an increase in supplies to Ukraine (6.3 times compared to the previous year), as well as the opening of new export destinations (Guinea, Seychelles, Tajikistan). In 2022, exports decreased by 69% year-on-year, reaching 0.73 thousand. In 2023, a decrease in shipments was shown by another 70.2% with a final result of about 0.22 thousand units.

Russian exports of reusable medical clothing are given without taking into account supplies to countries that are members of the EAEU Customs Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan). In general, as noted in the study, sales of such products abroad have a small volume and are episodic. They depend on specific one-off transactions and do not constitute a systematic activity.^[1]

2022: Pharmaceutical exports halved to $1.28 billion

In 2022, Russia delivered pharmaceutical products abroad in the amount of $1.28 billion, which is half as much as 2021. Such data were brought to the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation in March 2023.

According to the department's materials, imports of pharmaceutical products to Russia increased by 16.3% and amounted to $16.04 billion (in 2021 - $13.8 billion). As a result, the foreign trade turnover of Russian pharmaceutical products in 2022 increased by 5.3%, to $17.32 billion.

Foreign trade turnover of Russian pharmaceutical products for 2022 increased by 5.3%

In April 2022, Reuters, citing its sources in the pharmaceutical industry and a representative of the European Commission, reported that medical devices and medicines are not subject to sanctions, but their delivery to Russia faces transport, insurance and customs obstacles. The volume of supplies, according to the WTO, previously amounted to about 1.5 billion euros per year. According to the sources of the publication, exports to Russia are about half of the previous volumes.

In 2022, the then head of FTSVladimir Bulavin told reporters that the service was temporarily suspending the publication of import and export data "in order to avoid incorrect assessments, speculation and discrepancies." According to him, the import of medicines from the European Union and the United States remained at the level of 2021. He then explained this by the fact that drugs are not subject to sanctions. The main suppliers of medicines to Russia are Germany, France, India, Belarus and the United Kingdom. The most expensive drugs come from the United States, Ireland, Switzerland and Canada, the head of the FCS added.

In January 2023, Swiss customs spokeswoman Donatella Del Vecchio said that Bern exported chemical and pharmaceutical products to the Russian Federation in 2022 - this segment also includes medicines - worth almost $2.5 billion, about 50% more than a year earlier.^[2]

2020: Growth in the export of medical products from Russia by 42%

In 2020, the export of medical devices from Russia amounted to $162.9 million, which is 42.2% more than a year ago, equal to $114.6 million. This is evidenced by the data of the Federal Customs Service, referred to by the Russian Export Center.

In 2020, Russia exported drugs in the amount of $749.8 million, which is 35% more than a year ago. Deliveries of immune products abroad reached $251.8 million against $244.8 million a year earlier. The export of orthopedic devices decreased by about $1 million, to $24.9 million.

Exports of medical products from Russia in 2020 increased by 42%

One of the largest exporters of Russia was Moscow. According to the Moscow Export Center (subordinate to the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the capital), in 2020, Moscow's supply abroad in the segment of medicine and pharmaceuticals reached $434 million, which is 35% more than in 2019.

The export of drugs from Moscow increased by 58%, the supply of antibiotics increased by 84%. In the segment of medical equipment, the supply of medical devices for electrophoresis (almost 3 times), therapeutic breathing equipment (3.3 times), diagnostic reagents (2.2 times), gas masks and breathing equipment increased significantly (93%, or 1.9 times).

The main importers of pharmaceutical and medical products from Moscow in January - November 2020 were Belarus (+ 13%), Uzbekistan (+ 43%) and Ukraine (+ 98%). In addition to the CIS countries, the capital's enterprises of this segment supplied their products to Europe and Asia.

According to the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of Moscow, half of the capital's export of pharmaceutical products falls on medicines packaged in retail packaging.

In accordance with the strategy of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, by 2024 the export of medical products should reach 18.4 billion rubles.

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