🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of medical instruments: 2024 trade data
Imports of medical instruments by the United Kingdom reached $4.81 billion in 2024 (74.1 thousand tonnes). That makes it the 9th largest importer of this product worldwide, out of 226 countries. That is close to the 2023 level. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of medical instruments by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4.81B | 74.1K t |
| 2023 | $4.79B | 75.7K t |
| 2022 | $4.60B | 72.8K t |
| 2021 | $5.33B | 143.2K t |
| 2020 | $4.50B | 108.2K t |
| 2019 | $4.17B | 125.4K t |
| 2018 | $3.91B | 97.5K t |
| 2017 | $3.69B | 86.8K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports medical instruments from
The largest suppliers were United States (19%), Germany (12%), Ireland (12%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 43%. Among the main suppliers, Malaysia grew fastest (+33% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $935.3M | 19% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $564.9M | 12% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $556.6M | 12% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $397.8M | 8.3% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $327.1M | 6.8% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $279.4M | 5.8% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $138.8M | 2.9% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $133.9M | 2.8% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $117.5M | 2.4% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $106.2M | 2.2% |
Types of medical instruments under HS 9018
| 9018.90 | Medical, surgical or dental instruments and appliances: n.e.c. in heading no. 9018 | 43% |
| 9018.19 | Medical, surgical instruments and appliances: electro-diagnostic apparatus (including apparatus for functional exploratory examination or for… | 17% |
| 9018.39 | Medical, surgical instruments and appliances: catheters, cannulae and the like | 16% |
| 9018.31 | Medical, surgical instruments and appliances: syringes, with or without needles | 5.1% |
| 9018.50 | Ophthalmic instruments and appliances | 4.9% |
| 9018.13 | Medical, surgical instruments and appliances: magnetic resonance imaging apparatus | 4.5% |
| 9018.49 | Dental instruments and appliances: other than dental drill engines | 4% |
| 9018.12 | Medical, surgical instruments and appliances: ultrasonic scanning apparatus | 2.3% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 9018.
Average import price of medical instruments
The average declared value was about $64.93 per kg, 74% above the world average of $37.39. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports medical instruments
Exports of medical instruments by the United Kingdom reached $3.16 billion in 2024 (74.2 thousand tonnes). Its share of world exports was 2%. Most of it went to United States (19%), Germany (19%), Netherlands (13%). Among the main buyer markets, Italy grew fastest (+35% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $612.8M | 19% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $586.4M | 19% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $408.1M | 13% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $283.5M | 9% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $197.4M | 6.3% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $190.1M | 6% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $80.3M | 2.5% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $57.9M | 1.8% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $56.9M | 1.8% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $46.2M | 1.5% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Kingdom?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 9018: Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, including scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight testing instruments.
Medical instruments trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of medical instruments imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported medical instruments worth $4.81 billion in 2024 (74.1 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import medical instruments from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were United States (19%), Germany (12%), Ireland (12%).
What is the average import price of medical instruments in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $64.93 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $37.39 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export medical instruments?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported medical instruments worth $3.16 billion in 2024, mainly to United States, Germany, Netherlands.
What is the HS code for medical instruments?
Medical instruments falls under HS heading 9018 (Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, including scintigraphic apparatus). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading medical instruments with the United Kingdom?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United Kingdom with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Medical instruments trade in other countries
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