In 2016, the export situation of APIs in China shows that the quantity is increasing, but the price is decreasing. According to the quarterly data, the negative year-on-year growth in first two quarters is relieved by the positive growth in the following two quarters, which is in connect with the policy taken by government  to make foreign trade stable and better. The reduction in the import and export of APIs has cause its share in Western medicine trade to shrink to 55.5%. On the other hand, the western medicine and biochemical drugs with higher added value have maintained a positive growth of over 4% to various degrees. The proportion of western medicine trade continues to expand, which confirms the achievement in promoting China pharmaceutical industry transformation and upgrading on the other side. 

Export: export enterprises put efforts together into reducing the price and increasing the quantity to keep the sales.

Most categories of APIs in China present the export trend that the quantity is increasing, but the price is decreasing, including bulk APIs like amino acids, hormones, cephalosporins, antipyretic analgesic and special APIs like central nervous system drugs, respiratory system medication. Driven by the surge in the number of exports, the export volume of amino acids and macrolides has increased by 24%, the former like glutamic acid, lysine, threonine and other sub-varieties all show the increase, The latter is only supported by erythromycin; individual categories like penicillins, tetracyclines, whose export volume and price are both decreasing. the former like amoxicillin trihydrate and 6-APA both have poor performances, and the latter like tetracycline derivatives present the declining tendency. Some categories counterattack, presenting that the volume and price are both increasing, such as vitamins, sulfonamides, anesthesia drugs. Vitamins affected by capacity contraction and increasing price raw material, export prices increase by more than 10%, and have the best performance.

Countries along the routine “One Belt And One Road” are important components of APIs export market in China In 2016, they import 373.39 million tons from China, the value of goods is up to $ 9.403 billion and has a year-on-year growth of 0.4%, the quantity and amount accounted for 45.13% and 36.72%. Among them, the main countries of Indonesia and Vietnam, the export of APIs have achieved the double-digit growth of more than 11%. China shows the vitality better than the whole to the countries along the B&R routine.

In 2016, China has a total of 10293 enterprises operating APIs export business, which has increased by 488 compared with the same period last year. the number of business operators has been growing for three consecutive years, which is devoted by the private enterprises. Private enterprises, as the main force of China’s export of APIs, the total export sales is up to 15.321 billion US dollars, and have a year-on-year growth of 5.96%, accounting for 59.8%. The number of entrepreneurs increases by 515; state-owned enterprises export sales has been reducing in recent years. In 2016, the export sales have a year-on-year decrease of 8.83%, the proportion shrinks to 13.7%; foreign-funded enterprises are also showing the declining trend, export sales have a year-on -year decrease of 7.38% year.