Overall, the value of surveying equipment exports rose by an average 4% for all exporting countries since 2018 when total shipments of surveying equipment were valued at $9.53 billion.
Year over year, worldwide exports of surveying equipment decreased in value by -2.6% starting from $10.2 billion in 2021.
The technical equipment and technology behind critical land surveys define the legal boundaries for their real estate properties. Yet history shows that many landowners have endured prolonged court battles and even intergenerational blood feuds over property lines. Land disputes can arise issues as mundane as misplaced fencing.
Contested property battles are a key reason why surveying demands precise spatial measurements that must stand up in court.
The 5 biggest exporters of surveying equipment by value are the United States of America, mainland China, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada. That leading cohort of suppliers generated over half (51%) of globally exported surveying equipment during 2022.
Applying a continental perspective, suppliers in European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported surveying equipment during 2022 with shipments valued at $4.23 billion or 42.7% of the global total. In second place were Asian equipment suppliers at 31.4% compared to 22.5% for competitors in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Oceania (1.9%) led by Australia and New Zealand, Africa (0.9%) then Latin America (0.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 9015 for surveying equipment, including products used for photogrammetrical surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological and meteorological purposes.
Top Surveying Equipment Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of survey equipment during 2022.
- United States: US$1.6 billion (16.3% of survey equipment exports)
- China: $1.4 billion (13.8%)
- Germany: $829.9 million (8.4%)
- United Kingdom: $673.7 million (6.8%)
- Canada: $564 million (5.7%)
- Switzerland: $558.9 million (5.6%)
- Singapore: $512.9 million (5.2%)
- France: $405.9 million (4.1%)
- Netherlands: $366.5 million (3.7%)
- Norway: $342.1 million (3.5%)
- Hong Kong: $276.5 million (2.8%)
- Japan: $192.6 million (1.9%)
- Australia: $181.2 million (1.8%)
- Austria: $160.9 million (1.6%)
- Malaysia: $144.9 million (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 82.7% of all exported survey equipment in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of survey equipment since 2021 were: Norway (up 28.1%), Australia (up 23.3%), Malaysia (up 21.8%) and Canada (up 15.5%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their international sales of survey equipment were led by: Hong Kong (down -30.8% from 2021), mainland China (down -9.1%), Germany (down -8.6%), France (down -8.2%) and the United Kingdom (down -7.5%).
Countries Enjoying Competitive Advantages from Surveying Equipment
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for surveying equipment during 2022. 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 survey equipment and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- China: US$488.9 million (net export surplus down -7.7% since 2021)
- Switzerland: $364.3 million (up 9.4%)
- Germany: $254.3 million (down -22.3%)
- Canada: $209.8 million (up 34.3%)
- United Kingdom: $195.8 million (down -45.6%)
- Singapore: $171.6 million (down -9.1%)
- Finland: $103.1 million (up 9.5%)
- France: $101.1 million (down -14.7%)
- Netherlands: $85.6 million (down -23.8%)
- United States: $85.2 million (down -16.9%)
- Austria: $79.9 million (down -2.6%)
- Malaysia: $72.3 million (up 27.3%)
- Denmark: $49.1 million (down -13.8%)
- Israel: $28 million (down -2.5%)
- Sweden: $20.4 million (down -48.9%)
Mainland China generated the highest surplus in the international trade of survey equipment. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms China’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Suffering Competitive Disadvantages from Surveying Equipment
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for surveying equipment during 2022. 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 survey equipment purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- South Korea: -US$170.3 million (net export deficit up 1.6% since 2021)
- India: -$167.4 million (up 34.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$139.2 million (down -4%)
- Australia: -$110.8 million (down -35.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$106.5 million (down -66.6%)
- Japan: -$98.4 million (down -31.9%)
- Russia: -$85 million (down -53.4%)
- Mexico: -$78.4 million (up 16.7%)
- Norway: -$76 million (up 8.5%)
- Brazil: -$63.6 million (down -20.8%)
- Algeria: -$61.5 million (up 50.4%)
- Vietnam: -$58.7 million (up 98.6%)
- Indonesia: -$55.6 million (up 3.9%)
- Hong Kong: -$48 million (up 893.1%)
- Chile: -$46.7 million (down -6%)
South Korea and India incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of surveying equipment. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights both countries’ strong competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for survey equipment-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Survey Equipment Companies
Below are global survey equipment-processing conglomerates that represent established players that sell geospatial measurement apparatus and supporting materials internationally. Shown within parenthesis is the home country for each business.
The top two businesses, Bechtel and Larson Design Group, were reported on Point of Beginning’s list of top 100 geospatial companies.
- Bechtel (United States)
- Larson Design Group (United States)
- Geo Industries Co Ltd (China)
- Imajing (France)
- Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany)
- Sun Survey Systems (India)
- Leica Geosystems (Switzerland)
- Bathey Survey Markers, Inc (United Kingdom)
- Datum Survey Products Ltd (United Kingdom)
- Renishaw (United Kingdom)
- Dunham & Morrow Inc (United States)
- SECO (United States)
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following firms are examples of surveying equipment providers. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Shanghai Huace Navigation Technology Ltd (China)
- STS Corporation (Japan)
- EIE Instruments Private Limited (India)
- Zhangfuying Inc (Hong Kong)
- International Surveying Equipment Ltd (United States)
- Surveying Systems (Pakistan)
See also Top Industrial Robots Exporters, Electronic Circuit Components Exports by Country and Heart Pacemaker Export Sales by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for survey equipment. Accessed on October 22, 2023
dmoz directory, Land Surveying Equipment Manufacturers. Accessed on October 22, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 22, 2023
Point of Beginning, POB Top 100 Geospatial Companies. Accessed on October 22, 2023
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on October 22, 2023
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on October 22, 2023
Wikipedia, List of surveying instruments. Accessed on October 22, 2023
