Beijing's imports of medical apparatus and medicines skyrocketed in
the first four months of this year, according to statistics from
Beijing Customs.
Statistics show that Beijing imported 106 million US dollars worth
of medical apparatus and instruments during the period, an increase
of 54.6 percent over the same period last year.
Affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic,
the imports consisted mainly of medical equipment such as
respirators, monitors and X-ray machines.
Imports of respirators in particular experienced a sharp increase.
Over the period, imports of various kinds of respirators and face
shields reached 7.86 million dollars, a 370 percent increase on the
figure for the same period last year. In April alone, respirator
imports were valued at 4.98 million dollars, 66 percent of the
total for the first four months.
Medical apparatus and instruments were imported mainly from
developed countries including the United States, Germany and Japan.
Imports from the United States alone accounted for 40 percent of
the total.
During the same period, Beijing imported 1,082 tons of medicines
valued at 99.35 million dollars, a year-on-year increase of 120
percent and 74.4 percent respectively.
Medicines imported were mainly from European countries including
Germany, Italy and France.
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2003)