That dollar amount results from an average 15.6% increase encompassing all international sellers of artificial joints over the five-year period starting from $10.3 billion for 2017.
Year over year, the value of globally exported artificial joints accelerated by 16.2% compared to $10.2 billion in 2020.
As the massive cohort of baby boomers continues to age, the number of surgeries for artificial knee, hip, ankle and other joint replacement continues to accelerate at a steady pace.
Where the 5 Biggest Exporters of Artificial Joints are Located
The 5 biggest exporters of artificial joints by value are the Netherlands, Ireland, United States of America, Switzerland and Belgium. Collectively, that quintet of leading suppliers accounted for over seven-tenths (71.5%) of artificial joints sold on international markets during 2021.
Among continents, exporters in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported artificial joints during 2021 with shipments valued at $8.2 billion or over four-fifths (81%) of overall exports for these highly specialized limb-related replacements. In second place were North American exporters at 14.7% while another 4% of worldwide artificial joints shipments originated from Asia.
Smaller percentages came from Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia, then Latin America (0.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Africa (0.03%).
For research purposes, artificial joints for orthopedic purposes are classified under 902131, the corresponding 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix.
Top Artificial Joints Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of artificial joints during 2021.
- Netherlands: US$2.6 billion (22% of exported artificial joints)
- Ireland: $2 billion (16.8%)
- United States: $1.5 billion (12.9%)
- Switzerland: $1.18 billion (10%)
- Belgium: $1.16 billion (9.8%)
- Germany: $1 billion (8.6%)
- United Kingdom: $720.6 million (6.1%)
- France: $512.9 million (4.3%)
- Italy: $325.3 million (2.7%)
- China: $218.5 million (1.8%)
- Singapore: $144.9 million (1.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $78.4 million (0.7%)
- Taiwan: $38.8 million (0.3%)
- Austria: $35 million (0.3%)
- Spain: $34 million (0.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.8% of globally exported artificial joints in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of artificial joints since 2020 were: United Arab Emirates (up 1,760%), Ireland (up 49.6%), mainland China (up 28.2%) and Taiwan (up 26.8%).
France was the lone major exporter that posted a decline in its international sales of artificial joints, dragged down by a -25% reduction year over year.
Countries Generating Highest Surpluses Trading Artificial Joints
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for artificial joints during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported artificial joints and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Ireland: US$1.7 billion (net export surplus up 50.6% since 2017)
- Netherlands: $993.2 million (down -4.9%)
- Switzerland: $730.5 million (up 13.7%)
- United Kingdom: $340.7 million (up 22.4%)
- Belgium: $319.4 million (down -30.9%)
- Germany: $279.3 million (up 34.1%)
- Singapore: $45.3 million (down -10.1%)
- Iceland: $28.2 million (down -27.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $21.7 million (reversing a -$17.5 million deficit)
- Philippines: $10.2 million (reversing a -$614,000 deficit)
- Belarus: $7.1 million (reversing a -$17.5 million deficit)
- Taiwan: $6.6 million (reversing an -$853,000 deficit)
- Georgia: $1.5 million (up 70%)
- Cyprus: $635,000 (reversing a -$2.4 million deficit)
- Andorra: $67,000 (down -$33,000 deficit)
Ireland once again generated the highest surplus in the international trade of artificial joints. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Ireland’s strong competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Deficits Trading Artificial Joints
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for artificial joints during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported artificial joints purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$1.1 billion (net export deficit up 15.7% since 2017)
- Japan: -$455.1 million (up 1.3%)
- China: -$381.4 million (up 8.9%)
- Australia: -$321.6 million (up 28%)
- Spain: -$188.7 million (up 33.8%)
- Italy: -$152.4 million (up 141.4%)
- Canada: -$144.3 million (up 8.5%)
- Iran: -$141.6 million (up 138.1%)
- India: -$89.8 million (up 207%)
- Russia: -$81.3 million (up 9.5%)
- South Korea: -$78.1 million (up 10.1%)
- Norway: -$76.4 million (down -0.5%)
- Poland: -$76.2 million (up 15.2%)
- Austria: -$68.2 million (up 13.3%)
- New Zealand: -$52.1 million (up 13.2%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of artificial joints. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for artificial joints-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Artificial Joints Exporting Companies
Below are artificial joints-manufacturing conglomerates headquartered in the United States. They are presented in order of greatest market capitalization, according to Morningstar’s analysis of industry peers.
- Abbott Laboratories
- Boston Scientific
- Edwards Lifesciences Corp
- Intuitive Surgical Inc
- Smith & Nephew PLC
- Sonova Holding AG
- St Jude Medical Inc
- Stryker Corp
- Varian Medical Systems Inc
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following are examples of exporters that supply artificial joints. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Daiya Industry Co Ltd (Japan)
- Biomecanica Orthopedic Industry Ltd (Brazil)
- DOO Ortopedija Nis (Serbia)
- Medimsa Medical Production Industry (Turkey)
- Shijiazhuang City Huirong Stainless Steel Products (China)
- Standard Steel (India)
See also Top Industrial Robots Exporters, Electronic Circuit Component Exports by Country and Heart Pacemaker Export Sales by Country.
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for artificial joints. Accessed on November 6, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 6, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 6, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 6, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 6, 2022
Morningstar, Industry Peers for Stryker Corp. Accessed on November 6, 2022
