TEHRAN – The export of medical equipment experienced a growth rate of 23 percent over the past [Iranian calendar] year (March 2020-March 2021) despite U.S. sanctions, Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz, head of the Food and Drug Administration, said.

In the field of medicine export, there was also an 8 percent increase compared to a year before, while export of cosmetic products increased by 15 percent, he added, ISNA reported on Saturday.

“In the field of detergent products, we have had 13 percent export growth compared to the same period a year before.”

One of the important programs of this year will be to facilitate exports and further activity in the markets of the target countries, he concluded.

Sanctions and self-sufficiency

In January, Health Minister Saeed Namaki strongly criticized the U.S. sanctions against Iran, saying the sanctions made it virtually impossible for Iran to import medicine and medical equipment.

Namaki made the remarks in a letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO).

He stated that while the U.S. government claims that the sanctions do not include medicine, foodstuff, and medical equipment, it has blocked almost all of Iran’s financial transactions.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in late 2019 that the United States sanctions and economic war on Iran targeted ordinary people’s health and livelihood.

Despite sanctions putting pressure on the country, a unique opportunity was provided for business development and the activity of knowledge-based companies in the country.

Currently, over 5,700 knowledge-based companies are active in the country, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency, in addition to export the items.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

In recent years, the vice presidency for science and technology has been supporting knowledge-based companies active in the production of sanctioned items.

Iranian medical equipment market

Reza Masaeli, head of the medical equipment office at the Ministry of Health, said in January 2019 that the growth of the Iranian medical equipment market is estimated at around 9.1% while the global growth average is about 6%.

Approximately, there are around 500,000 types of medical devices in the world; while there are around 280,000 types in Iran. 

Iran exports medical equipment to 55 countries including Russia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Croatia.

FB/MG