Market evolution: CT scanners (CN 902212) — 2015–2025

Introduction

Computer tomography (CT) scanners, classified under customs code 902212, represent one of the most capital-intensive product categories in the global medical equipment market. The European Union, home to some of the world's leading CT scanner manufacturers — notably Siemens Healthineers (Germany) and Philips (Netherlands) — plays a central role in both production and trade of this technology. Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU's trade in CT scanners has undergone a significant transformation: exports more than doubled, the trade surplus widened dramatically, and the geographic composition of both suppliers and customers shifted in meaningful ways. This report examines the key dynamics underlying these trends, drawing on EU-level trade data to identify structural changes in the market.

1. The EU consolidates its position as a dominant net exporter

The most striking feature of the 2015–2025 period is the EU's emergence as an increasingly powerful net exporter of CT scanners. While the Union was already a net exporter in 2015, the scale of its export advantage grew enormously by 2025.

Exports grew far more rapidly than imports

Between 2015 and 2025, EU exports of CT scanners rose from EUR 876 million to EUR 1,800 million, an increase of 105.4%. Over the same period, imports grew more modestly, from EUR 347 million to EUR 453 million (+30.4%). The result was a dramatic widening of the trade surplus:

The trade balance thus grew by a factor of 2.5 over the decade, reaching nearly EUR 1.35 billion in 2025. This reflects the EU's structural competitive advantage in high-end medical imaging equipment, built on deep R&D investment, established global hospital relationships, and strong regulatory reputation (e.g., CE marking).

Export volumes expanded even faster than values

Export quantities (measured in tonnes) grew by 88.9%, from approximately 6,988 tonnes to 13,202 tonnes. Meanwhile, export unit prices rose only modestly — from EUR 125,353 per tonne to EUR 136,305 per tonne (+8.7%). This indicates that the bulk of the export growth came from increased physical shipments rather than price inflation alone. The supplementary unit data, which tracks the number of individual items, tells a similar story: exports of CT scanner units rose from 8,729 to 17,992 items (+106.1%).

Notably, the supplementary price per unit remained essentially flat at around EUR 100,000 per scanner, suggesting stable pricing at the unit level. This is consistent with a market where EU manufacturers compete on technology and service rather than price.

Production volumes nearly doubled, underpinning export capacity

The EU's production of CT scanners grew from approximately 95,088 units to 180,000 units (+89.3%), while production value rose from EUR 2.96 billion to EUR 5.03 billion (+70.0%). This expansion in domestic manufacturing capacity directly supported the surge in exports and reinforced the EU's role as a global production hub for CT scanners.

2. Shifting geographic dynamics: China rises as a supplier, the United States as a customer

The decade saw significant reorientation in the EU's trading relationships for CT scanners, both on the import and export sides. Two key shifts stand out: China's emergence as the primary import source and the United States' deepening role as the EU's top export market.

China overtook the United States as the EU's leading import source

In 2015, the United States was the EU's largest supplier of CT scanners, with imports valued at EUR 195 million — far ahead of China (EUR 68 million) and Japan (EUR 63 million). By 2025, the picture had changed dramatically:

China's imports to the EU surged by 152%, reaching EUR 172 million and displacing the United States as the top supplier. This reflects the broader rise of Chinese medical device manufacturers (such as United Imaging and Mindray), which have invested heavily in CT technology and gained market share through competitive pricing. Meanwhile, imports from the United States fell by 34.3%, possibly reflecting shifts in production strategies of US-based multinationals or competitive pressure.

A particularly striking development is the rise of Israel as an import source, growing from just EUR 8 million to EUR 59 million (+618%). This may reflect the growing prominence of Israeli medical technology firms and the EU-Israel trade relationship.

The United States became an even more dominant export destination

On the export side, the United States consolidated its position as the EU's largest customer for CT scanners:

Exports to the US nearly tripled, from EUR 230 million to EUR 669 million — representing 37% of total EU CT scanner exports by 2025. This concentration likely reflects the strength of German and Dutch manufacturers in the US hospital and imaging-center market, as well as the premium positioning of EU-made scanners in a market that values advanced specifications and regulatory compliance.

The United Kingdom also emerged as a much more significant export market (+177.2%), potentially reflecting post-Brexit trade dynamics and the UK's continued reliance on EU-manufactured medical equipment. India (+150.5%) and Korea (+106.2%) also showed strong growth, pointing to expanding healthcare infrastructure in these markets.

Import concentration decreased while export concentration increased

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for imports fell from 3,881 to 2,592 (−33.2%), indicating that the EU diversified its sources of CT scanner imports. In contrast, the export HHI rose from 1,157 to 1,625 (+40.4%), suggesting that EU exports became more concentrated toward a smaller number of key destinations — principally the United States.

This divergence is noteworthy: while the EU has successfully diversified its import base, reducing supply risk, it has simultaneously become more dependent on a narrower set of export markets — particularly the US.

3. Germany anchors EU production, but specialization varies widely across member states

The EU's CT scanner trade is not evenly distributed across member states. A small number of countries — led by Germany — dominate production and exports, while most member states are primarily importers with no significant indigenous manufacturing base.

Germany accounts for the lion's share of EU exports

In 2025, Germany exported EUR 1,474 million worth of CT scanners, representing 82% of all EU exports of this product. This grew by 119.4% from EUR 672 million in 2015. France was a distant second at EUR 159 million, followed by the Netherlands at EUR 78 million.

Germany's dominance is further confirmed by specialisation data. In 2025, Germany's Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) in CT scanners stood at 0.42, with an RCA of 2.45 — the highest among all EU member states. The Netherlands (RSCA 0.23, RCA 1.58) and France (RSCA 0.17, RCA 1.40) also show positive specialisation, though at much lower levels.

At the other end of the spectrum, countries such as Slovakia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Romania, and Portugal show very low or negative RSCA values (below −0.90), indicating virtually no specialisation in CT scanner production.

On the import side, Germany and the Netherlands are also major buyers

Paradoxically, Germany is not only the EU's largest CT scanner exporter but also one of its largest importers, with imports of EUR 169 million in 2025 (up 68.4% from EUR 100 million in 2015). The Netherlands imported EUR 134 million, and France EUR 99 million. This reflects the fact that even major manufacturing hubs source components and finished units from outside the EU, and that intra-EU trade in medical equipment (not captured in this dataset of extra-EU flows) is also significant.

Volatility varies substantially across trading partners

The coefficient of variation (CV) of trade values reveals significant differences in the stability of EU trade relationships:

Trade with the United States — both on the import and export sides — tends to be relatively stable (low CV), consistent with long-term institutional relationships between major manufacturers and large hospital networks. In contrast, trade with smaller or more niche partners such as Israel, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom is considerably more volatile, likely reflecting the lumpier nature of high-value equipment orders.

The top shock events detected in the data include a significant price shock in EU imports from the United States in 2020 (abnormality score 53.7, price shift of −16.7%), which coincides with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — a period of disrupted supply chains and surging demand for medical imaging equipment globally.

Conclusion

Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU's trade in CT scanners tells a story of industrial strength and evolving competitive dynamics. The Union's trade surplus more than doubled, driven by a 105% increase in exports that far outpaced the 30% rise in imports. Germany, with manufacturers like Siemens Healthineers, anchors this position, accounting for over 80% of EU CT scanner exports and holding the highest specialisation coefficient in the bloc.

The geographic landscape shifted meaningfully. China rose to become the EU's top import source — overtaking the United States — reflecting the growing capabilities of Chinese medical device manufacturers. On the export side, the United States became even more dominant, absorbing over a third of EU exports by 2025, while emerging markets such as India and Korea also gained importance. This dual dynamic — diversification of suppliers but concentration toward key customers — presents both opportunities and risks for the EU.

The EU's strong negative net import reliance (−232% in 2025, versus −54% in 2015) confirms its status as a major global exporter of this critical medical technology. However, the growing dependence on the US as an export destination warrants attention. Geopolitical shifts, trade policy changes, or increased competition from Asian manufacturers could challenge the EU's dominant position in the years ahead.