Companies exporting to LMICs

Among the 90 survey respondents, 51 (or 56 per cent) have already sold to LMICs (see Figure 2). Nearly all companies confirmed their interest in future sales to LMICs and 7 in 10 have shown interest in joining international initiatives, including product donations.

Figure 2: Number of LMICs exported to by survey respondents

Pie chart showing experience across countries. The chart is divided into four segments, each labeled with a percentage and description: 43%: No experience (largest segment, dark blue); 40%: Under 20 countries (second largest, teal blue); 13%: 20-50 countries (smaller segment, light blue); 3%: Over 100 countries (smallest segment, green). Each segment has a dotted line pointing to its label and percentage.

Asia is the top export destination for Chinese suppliers. The table below shows the top 10 LMIC sales destinations. LMICs geographically close to China, such as the Philippines, Viet Nam and India, are the most common sales destinations. However, more distant countries like Bolivia, Egypt and Kenya also show significant interest in Chinese products.

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Table 1: Top 10 LMIC sales destinations for the survey respondents

# Country # of suppliers Region
1 The Philippines 31 Asia
Viet Nam 31 Asia
3 India 29 Asia
4 Cambodia 20 Asia
Ukraine 20 Europe
6 Pakistan 17 Asia
Myanmar 17 Asia
8 Bangladesh 14 Asia
9 Uzbekistan 13 Asia
10 Mongolia 12 Asia
Laos 12 Asia
Bolivia 12 Latin America
Egypt 12 Africa
Iran 12 Asia
Kenya 12 Africa

This growing interest in LMIC markets is driven not only by rising demand but also by intense competition in the domestic market. Several suppliers have highlighted the fierce domestic competition and the associated price wars that erode their margins. According to one of China’s largest wheelchair suppliers, they have observed an approximate 40 per cent decrease in their domestic market sales and are therefore actively strengthening their exports.