Medical equipment sector

The total production of the medical equipment sector for the first three quarters of this year amounted to NT$38.6 billion (US$1.2 billion), up 6.3 percent year-on-year, statistics released yesterday by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院) showed.

An official with ITRI's Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center said that the growth could mainly be attributed to the considerable increase in the nation's exports of glucose meters, invisible glasses and medical consumptive materials.

EXPORT JUMP

According to customs statistics, the nation exported NT$21.4 billion in medical equipment between January and the end of September.

That figure represents an increase of 7 percent over the same period last year.

GLUCOSE METERS

Exports of glucose meters saw a growth of 40.5 percent over last year's figure.

The statistics also showed that plastic products for laboratory, sanitary and medical use had jumped by 77.4 percent in comparison with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, imports of medical equipment also increased this year.

Taiwan imported NT$27.7 billion in medical equipment in the first three quarters of the year, representing an 8 percent increase over the corresponding period last year.

The jump was mainly a result of the increase in imports of renal dialysis-related products.