Pakistan’s medical and surgical instruments exports to China surge in 2024

In the first ten months of 2024, Pakistan’s exports of medical and surgical instruments to China have surged, signaling a bright future for the nation’s healthcare manufacturing sector. Recent data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) shows that the export value increased by 5.189% over the same period last year—a testament to China's growing appetite for high-quality medical devices and Pakistan’s reputation for reliable, cost-effective products.

Ghulam Qadir, the Trade and Investment Counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, shared with China Economic Net that Pakistan has exported over $10.19 million worth of these instruments to China from January to October 2024. He explained that this milestone highlights China's role as a key export destination, driven by Pakistani manufacturers’ strategic efforts to meet international quality standards and strengthen trade relations with the world’s second-largest medical equipment market. According to Qadir, “Pakistan’s exports of medical and veterinary instruments and appliances reached $6.544 million this year, up from $6.387 million last year—an increase of 2.47%. Exports of dental instruments and appliances grew even faster, reaching $3.158 million compared to $2.926 million in the same period of 2023, a rise of 7.9%.”

Industry experts believe that this upward trend is part of a larger regional shift. As China continues to invest in modernizing its healthcare infrastructure to meet the demands of an aging population, the need for cutting-edge medical instruments—ranging from surgical tools and diagnostic equipment to personal protective gear—has skyrocketed. With its competitive manufacturing capabilities, Pakistan is ideally positioned to benefit from this increasing global demand.“Pakistan has long been known for its robust production of medical instruments,” Qadir noted. “This surge in exports to China shows the rising confidence in our products worldwide, and with China’s healthcare industry rapidly expanding, we expect this growth to continue in the coming years.”