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Where does China get its medicines? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $20.1 billion of medicines (118 thousand tonnes), 4.1% of the world total. Its main sources were Germany (13%), the United States (12%) and Switzerland (12%). China was the world’s 5th-largest importer of medicines.

Summary

Value
$20.1billion
Tonnes
118thousand tonnes
Share of world total
4.1%
World rank
5th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Germany2.5Tonnes: 11,429USD per tonne: $221,60712.6%Air
United States2.4Tonnes: 9,656USD per tonne: $251,53612.1%Air
Switzerland2.3Tonnes: 3,344USD per tonne: $698,72911.7%Air
France1.5Tonnes: 8,047USD per tonne: $186,7877.5%Air
Japan1.5Tonnes: 5,756USD per tonne: $253,7647.3%Air
Ireland1.2Tonnes: 894USD per tonne: $1,393,2896.2%Air
Italy1.1Tonnes: 6,290USD per tonne: $180,0105.7%Air
Denmark1.1Tonnes: 1,128USD per tonne: $987,9495.6%Air
United Kingdom1.1Tonnes: 1,367USD per tonne: $775,2695.3%Air
Sweden1Tonnes: 4,966USD per tonne: $211,2315.2%Air
Spain0.8Tonnes: 1,618USD per tonne: $494,7734%Air
Hong Kong re-exports0.63Tonnes: 36,831USD per tonne: $17,0623.1%Land
Belgium re-exports0.58Tonnes: 4,033USD per tonne: $142,8122.9%Air
Netherlands re-exports0.48Tonnes: 8,503USD per tonne: $56,9792.4%Air
Australia0.25Tonnes: 2,836USD per tonne: $89,0951.3%Air
Canada0.22Tonnes: 477USD per tonne: $469,6401.1%Air
Austria0.21Tonnes: 3,190USD per tonne: $67,0351.1%Air
Greece0.2Tonnes: 513USD per tonne: $384,2460.98%Air
Singapore re-exports0.16Tonnes: 158USD per tonne: $1,033,3080.81%Air
Taiwan0.14Tonnes: 1,865USD per tonne: $73,6520.69%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

Germany has been its main source since 2024

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Germany 2.5
  • United States 2.4
  • Switzerland 2.3
  • France 1.5
  • Japan 1.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Germany0.042.5
United States0.012.4
Switzerland0.042.3
France0.011.5
Japan0.031.5

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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