A Look at the Export Status of Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine in 2021

According to reports, the cumulative value of China’s human vaccine exports reached RMB 101.04 billion in 2021. According to the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CCTV News, as of December 26, China has supplied more than 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines or stock solutions to the world.

Five Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines Exported by China to Overseas Markets in 2021

On May 7, 2021, Sinopharm Beijing Institute has received emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its inactivated viral vaccine to be promoted and used globally. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by Beijing Institute is the first in China and the sixth in the world to be added to the WHO’s emergency use list.

In mid-October 2020, Sinovac applied to be included in the list of emergency use to WHO and handed in relevant materials according to WHO’s requirements for continuous evaluation of vaccine safety, efficacy, and product quality. In early June 2021, with the WHO’s approval, the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was officially included in the emergency use list, followed by Sinopharm Beijing Institute, and Sinovac joined the COVAX program of WHO together with Sinopharm Beijing Institute. It supplied China’s COVID-19 vaccine and brought the Chinese solution to the epidemic response for most developing countries where vaccines are in short supply.

On June 22 of the same year, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and other three departments announced the inclusion of four vaccines that had been conditionally approved for marketing in China in the list of COVID-19 vaccine products available for export. It expressed support for the Chinese vaccine manufacturers to export in a self-operated manner. The list would be adjusted dynamically in due course according to the approval and listing of the National Medical Products Administration. 

Source: The company's official website, Guotai Junan Securities 

In October, the COVID-19 vaccines of five Chinese vaccine manufacturers, Sinopharm Zhongsheng, Sinovac Biotech, CanSino Biologics, Zhifei Biological and Kangtai Biological, were exported to overseas markets, including three types of COVID-19 vaccine, with a total annual production capacity of over 8 billion doses. 

The Top Five Countries in Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine Export

Globally, countries or regions with vaccine production or R&D capabilities in 2021 are mainly in Europe, the United States, Japan, India, and China, with high comprehensive and technical strength, and countries with relatively large populations such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Brazil.

China's vaccine export orders are increasing, and its products have covered more than 112 countries, regions, and international organizations worldwide. From the perspective of the export region, the main export destinations of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The value of exports for the whole year of 2021 exceeded RMB 100 billion, with the highest export value of RMB 16 billion in July and the lowest export value of about RMB 2.12 billion in January. Statistics from the General Administration of Customs show that the Top 5 exporters of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 are Indonesia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and Turkey. Overall, China is the major supplier of COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries.

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China has Become a Major Supplier of COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, General Secretary Xi has actively promoted the progress of international cooperation on vaccines on many international occasions.

On August 5, General Secretary Xi said at the first meeting of the COVID-19 vaccine Cooperation International Forum that China will strive to provide 2 billion doses of vaccines to the world in 2021. On November 12, when General Secretary Xi attended the APEC meeting, he reiterated the export commitment of 2 billion doses for the whole year. On August 5, at the first meeting of the International Forum, General Secretary Xi Jinping said that China will provide another 1 billion doses of vaccines to African countries, 600 million of which will be free of charge, and will also provide 150 million doses of vaccines to ASEAN countries free of charge.

As a major supplier of global public goods, China has actively contributed to achieving the availability and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries. 

About  the Author:    

Xiaoyaowan, a pharmaceutical industry practitioner, a word carrier in the We-media era focusing on changes of the pharma industry.