Low price competition hinders the upgrading of medical consumables industry

Recently, in the China medicines and health products import and Export Chamber of Commerce (hereinafter referred to as “ the health insurance association of ” 2017) robust hosted by · Chinese (International) medical consumables Congress & Chinese medical industry international cooperation forum before the media communication conference, Chinese medicines and health products import and Export Chamber of Commerce vice president Meng Dongping said: “ medical supplies always play an important role in China's medical equipment trade. In the international market, medical supplies in China has occupied more than 60% market share, but because of weak demand in the international market competition and lead to market adjustment, medical supplies in China presents the volume in 2016 increased price trend, a price war between enterprises is increasing. ”
"Medical economic news" reporter learned from this meeting, China's medical supplies exports from 2012's $5 billion 562 million rose to $5 billion 950 million in 2015, close to $6 billion mark. In 2016, the foreign trade scale of medical consumables reached 8 billion 620 million US dollars, down 1.94%.
China Medical Products Import and Export Chamber of Commerce Deputy Secretary General, senior economist Cai Tianzhi admitted: “ China's exports are mostly infusion, syringes, ordinary tracheal intubation and other low-end products. In the international market, China made medical consumables mainly rely on low-cost occupation of the market, brand influence is obviously inadequate. ”
 : therefore, the medical consumables in our country show the condition that the export price drops and the amount is compensated.
Meng Dongping emphasizes: “ in recent years, China's medical consumables market competition is fierce, competition mainly from domestic counterparts. At present, the industrial production cost rising, It is often seen. low price competition, product homogeneity serious, resulting in the overall decline in prices, lower profit margins, so that enterprises in the domestic and international market business are faced with greater challenges. ”
As a domestic leading enterprise in the field of medical supplies, anesthesia consumable fields occupy a larger market share by Tuoren Medical Instruments General Manager Zhao Hui introduced: “ at present, there are serious homogenization of competition, price competition of medical consumables exports in general, if you want to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises in the international market, we must put the product structure to high added value the transition from low value-added manufacturing mode, the transition from OEM upgrade to original design manufacturer direction. ”
Export “ brothers against ”
For the current export situation of medical supplies, Cai Tianzhi said: “ Chinese medical supplies exports a large number of products, most of the traditional technology has been more mature, but the development level of the overall industry is low, the product level of domestic production enterprises, close to the product homogeneity serious, mostly imitation, lack of core technology, product technology content and low added value. High technology, value-added products, especially some key products, such as blood purification dialysis equipment, PTCA catheter, membrane oxygenation and other high-end products, mainly imported products monopoly. ”
Zhao Hui said: “ the current domestic production of medical consumable product in quality and international standards gap, as the three types of medical equipment, many countries have requested products through the FDA certification, the increasing pressure of competition. If long-term production of low value-added homogenization products can not be achieved R & D costs, in order to enhance competitiveness, we abandoned the profits and technical content of low medical dressings. ”
In the long run, upgrading the industrial structure is an inevitable trend of industry development.
&ldquo although the export volume of medical consumables in China is still rising year by year, the products are mainly concentrated in the middle and low end products, and the benefits are not obvious. &rdquo: Meng Dongping said frankly: “ domestic medical consumables production enterprises lower levels of production, the formation of a price war between enterprises vicious competition. Some enterprises even compete near or below the cost price, this situation is not conducive to the sustainable development of the industry. China's medical consumables industry still has a lot of family workshops, production enterprises, the production environment is poor, backward production technology, production quality is not perfect, quality of products and customer service are not guaranteed, and affect the development of the industry. Upgrading of industrial structure is the inevitable trend of sustainable development of medical consumables export in China. Some enterprises with poor technical level and poor qualification will lose market competitive advantage. ”
Cai Tianzhi also added: “ in the world economy today, the number of international famous brand has become an important index to measure the overall national strength and international competitiveness, in the medical device industry, this point is more obvious. Doctors and patients are users and recipients of medical devices, and their awareness of a particular brand directly determines the final use of the product. Generally speaking, in the medical consumables industry in China, China's well-known brands are relatively lacking, and competition behaviors with low brand awareness are widespread. ”