division | Key Contents | Implications |
|---|---|---|
| global economy | Demand for healthcare and pharmaceuticals remains inelastic even amidst economic slowdown. | Limiting the impact of economic fluctuations |
| Regulatory changes | Strengthening quality regulations, including EU GMP certification and FDA approval. | Factors driving up import costs |
| Exchange rate impact | Import prices rise when the won weakens | Foreign currency risk management is necessary. |
| Health policy | The aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases are increasing, leading to an increase in new drug approvals. | Imported drug costs continue to rise |
Given the structure of medical expenditures, pharmaceutical imports are strongly necessitated, and exchange rates, patents, and certification factors have a decisive impact on import price fluctuations.
item | detail |
|---|---|
| HS code | 30 (Pharmaceutical products) |
| Main subcategories | 3002 (blood and immune substances), 3004 (mixed pharmaceuticals), 3006 (medicinal preparations) |
| Import volume in 2024 | Approximately USD 16.8 billion (+4.2% YoY) |
| industrial structure | 70% finished products, 30% raw materials (API) |
| Major import sectors | anticancer drugs, rare disease drugs, vaccines, biosimilars |
Imports of finished products are overwhelming, and the proportion of imports of expensive biopharmaceuticals continues to increase.
ranking | importing country | specific gravity(%) | Features and Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | germany | 22.4 | Vaccines and anticancer drugs are on the rise |
| 2 | Swiss | 18.7 | Global new drugs and anticancer drugs |
| 3 | USA | 17.5 | Rare diseases and biopharmaceuticals |
| 4 | france | 10.2 | Vaccines and antibiotics |
| 5 | japan | 8.5 | Raw materials and prepared pharmaceuticals |
| 6 | Italy | 4.7 | Generics/Antibiotics |
| etc | 18.0 | Multinational pharmaceutical products produced locally |
The top six countries together account for approximately 82% – concentrated in specific regions with a European-centric supply chain.
division | 2023 Q3 | 2024 Q3 | Increase/decrease (%) | characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finished product (packaged medicine) | 428 kt | 446 kt | +4.2 | Focus on anticancer drugs and vaccines |
| raw materials (API) | 192 kt | 203 kt | +5.7 | Pharmaceutical companies respond to increased production |
| biopharmaceuticals | 64 kt | 73 kt | +14.1 | The surge in cell and protein therapies |
Biopharmaceutical imports are growing rapidly , driving overall import growth.
division | 2024 Q1 (USD/kg) | 2024 Q2 | 2024 Q3 | QoQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average unit price of finished products | 81 | 83 | 85 | +2.4% |
| raw materials (API) | 19 | 21 | 22 | +4.8% |
| biopharmaceuticals | 312 | 328 | 337 | +2.7% |
High-priced biologics drive overall average unit price increases.
branch | characteristic | Volatility (0–1) |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Vaccine off-season, inventory adjustments | 0.48 |
| Q2 | Increase in medical institution purchases | 0.57 |
| Q3 | New drug approvals and vaccine imports peak | 0.69 |
| Q4 | Budget exhaustion and bidding concentration | 0.63 |
item | detail |
|---|---|
| tariff | Most FTAs are duty-free or have reduced pharmaceutical prices. |
| Non-tariff | GMP · PIC/S · Clinical Data Submission Obligation |
| Domestic alternative industries | Expansion of generics and biosimilars |
| assignment | Localization of raw materials (mainly chemically synthesized APIs), quality homogenization |
characteristic | evaluation | analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Production carbon emissions | middle | Synthetic and fermentation processes are energy-intensive. |
| ESG Risk | middle | Disposal and safety issues of expired pharmaceuticals |
| Net Zero Contribution | award | Reducing the burden of disease and improving access to health care |
| Circular economy elements | middle | Expanding the transition to refillable packaging and eco-friendly packaging materials |
importing country | Policy (0–1) | Logistics (0–1) | Trust Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| germany | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.84 |
| Swiss | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.85 |
| USA | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.80 |
| france | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.78 |
| japan | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.75 |
Average Trust Index ≈ 0.80 (stable) – Low risk due to supply centered on developed countries.
industry | Major institutions and companies | Imported items | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital/Pharmacy | General hospitals and wholesalers | Vaccines, anticancer drugs, and high blood pressure medications | High proportion of public bidding |
| pharmacist | domestic pharmaceutical companies | Raw materials (API), additives | For domestic manufacturing |
| bio companies | Celltrion, Samba, LG Chem Bio | Bio-raw materials, technology partnerships | Import → localization in progress |
division | Dependency | movement |
|---|---|---|
| finished product | high | More than 70% of imported drugs are European pharmaceuticals. |
| raw materials (API) | middle | Promoting localization |
| biopharmaceuticals | high | Continued dependence on advanced countries' supply chains |
| vaccine | high | Essential imported items, progressing towards localization |
characteristic | Currently (2025 Q3) | Compared to the previous quarter (Δ%) | analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| ΔImport | +5.0% | ▲0.8 | Expanding imports of high-priced biologics |
| ΔPrice | +2.6% | ▲0.4 | Impact of exchange rates and logistics costs |
| ΔCountryShare | +0.3% | ▲0.1 | Rising European weight |
| Trust Index | 0.80 | = | Stable |
| Forecast (3M) | +5.8% | ▲ | Factors in New Drug Approval and Vaccine Bidding |
Summary: HS30 imports are in a "stable upward trend."
Imports continue to expand due to an aging population and the launch of new drugs. Substitution with domestic generics and biosimilars is a mid- to long-term challenge.
division | Suggestion | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expansion of the fund for domestic production of raw pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) | Technological independence and supply stability |
| 2 | Disclosure of imported biopharmaceutical price information and AI monitoring | Improving drug price transparency |
| 3 | Establishment of a joint European GMP and FDA-approved data center | Eliminate duplicate authentication |
| 4 | Digitizing the Public Vaccine Procurement Platform | Shortening delivery times and stock management |
| 5 | ESG packaging transition incentives | Reduced environmental burden + increased brand value |
HS30 (Pharmaceuticals) Imports Trade Index – 2025 Q3
ΔImport +5.0% , ΔPrice +2.6% , Trust 0.80 , Forecast (3M) +5.8%
→ Imports of high-priced biopharmaceuticals, centered in Europe, are increasing . Supply chain stability is sound, but cost and exchange rate risks remain.
Domestic production, AI procurement, and ESG transition are key strategic directions.
