Overall, the value of globally exported printing machinery dropped by an average -12.4% for all exporting countries since 2018 when international printing machinery shipments were worth $95.8 billion.
Year over year, the value of printing machinery exports fell by -6% compared to $89.2 billion during 2021.
The top 5 most lucrative exporters of printing apparatus in 2022 were mainland China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and Singapore. Collectively, that quintet of leading international suppliers accounted for over half (52.6%) of the world total for exported printing machinery.
Among continents, sellers located in Asian countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported printing machinery during 2022 with shipments valued at $52.2 billion or 62.2% of the global total. In second place were European exporters at 30.8% while another 6.3% of worldwide shipments for printing machinery originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from providers in Latin America (0.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.18%), and Oceania (0.17%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 8443 for printing machinery used for printing by means of plates, cylinders and other printing components.
Printing Machinery Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of printing machinery during 2022.
- China: US$15.7 billion (18.7% of total printing machinery exports)
- Germany: $8.7 billion (10.4%)
- Japan: $8.3 billion (9.9%)
- Netherlands: $6.9 billion (8.2%)
- Singapore: $4.53 billion (5.4%)
- Hong Kong: $4.47 billion (5.3%)
- Vietnam: $4.46 billion (5.3%)
- United States: $4.1 billion (4.9%)
- Thailand: $3.6 billion (4.2%)
- Malaysia: $3.5 billion (4.1%)
- Philippines: $2 billion (2.4%)
- Indonesia: $1.78 billion (2.1%)
- Belgium: $1.4 billion (1.7%)
- United Kingdom: $1.38 billion (1.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: $1.36 billion (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 86% of global printing machinery exports in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of printing machinery since 2021 were: Vietnam (up 33.9%), United Arab Emirates (up 21.7%), Thailand (up 10.1%) and Indonesia (up 9.5%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their exported printing machinery sales were led by: Singapore (down -37.6% from 2021), Malaysia (down -21.1%), Hong Kong (down -20.1%), Philippines (down -19.5%) and the Netherlands (down -14.9%).
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses from Printing Machinery
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for printing machinery during 2022. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported printing machinery and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- China: US$9.5 billion (net export surplus up 28.7% from 2021)
- Japan: $4.4 billion (down -19.3%)
- Vietnam: $3.5 billion (up 43.5%)
- Malaysia: $2.6 billion (down -26.9%)
- Thailand: $2.4 billion (up 17.2%)
- Singapore: $1.9 billion (down -24.4%)
- Philippines: $1.5 billion (down -24.2%)
- Hong Kong: $1.3 billion (down -3.7%)
- Indonesia: $1 billion (up 23.5%)
- Netherlands: $905.8 million (down -44.5%)
- Germany: $646.5 million (down -48.3%)
- Israel: $368.2 million (down -1.6%)
- Belgium: $322.1 million (down -8.6%)
- Myanmar: $58.3 million (up 25.6%)
- Taiwan: $53.2 million (reversing a -$16.2 million deficit)
Mainland China has the highest surplus in the international trade of printing machinery. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Chinese competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Trade Deficits from Printing Machinery
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for printing machinery during 2022. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported printing machinery purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$12.1 billion (net export deficit up 6.3% from 2021)
- France: -$1.8 billion (up 0.3%)
- India: -$1.5 billion (up 30.6%)
- Canada: -$1.4 billion (up 3%)
- United Kingdom: -$1.1 billion (up 42.7%)
- Mexico: -$964.1 million (up 31.8%)
- Italy: -$929.1 million (up 14.1%)
- Australia: -$737 million (down -4.6%)
- Brazil: -$734.7 million (up 19.6%)
- Russia: -$697.9 million (down -31.1%)
- South Korea: -$645.7 million (down -10.8%)
- Spain: -$590.7 million (up 9%)
- Poland: -$541.6 million (down -13.9%)
- Türkiye: -$518.6 million (down -0.6%)
- South Africa: -$451.5 million (down -1.1%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of printing machinery. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for printing machinery-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer and business demand.
Printing Machinery Exporting Companies
Below are global printing machinery manufacturers that represent established players engaged in the international trade of printers and related equipment for business and personal use. The home country for each business is shown within parenthesis.
- Apple Inc. (United States)
- Brother Industries (Japan)
- Canon Inc. (Japan)
- Fujitsu (Japan)
- Hewlett-Packard (United States)
- Lenovo Group Ltd (China)
- Lexmark International, Inc (United States)
- Olivetti (Italy)
- Panasonic (Japan)
- Ricoh (Japan)
- Seiko Epson (Japan)
- Xerox (United States)
See also Top Newsprint Exports by Country, Computer Device Exports by Country and Electronic Circuit Component Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 28, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on October 28, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 28, 2023
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on October 28, 2023
Wikipedia, List of printer companies. Accessed on October 28, 2023