Overall, the value of surveying equipment exports rose by an average 9.4% for all exporting countries since 5 years earlier in 2019 when total shipments of surveying equipment were valued at $10.3 billion.
Year over year, worldwide exports of surveying equipment increased in value by 8.1% starting from $10.4 billion in 2022.
The technical equipment and technology behind critical land surveys define the legal boundaries for their real estate properties. Yet history shows that many landowners have endured prolonged court battles and even intergenerational blood feuds over property lines. Land disputes can arise issues as mundane as misplaced fencing.
Contested property battles are a key reason why surveying demands precise spatial measurements that must stand up in court.
The 5 biggest exporters of surveying equipment by value are the United States of America, mainland China, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada. That leading cohort of suppliers generated almost half (49.4%) of globally exported surveying equipment during 2023.
Applying a continental perspective, suppliers in European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported surveying equipment during 2023 with shipments valued at $4.5 billion or 40% of the global total. In second place were equipment suppliers located in Asia at 35.2% compared to 21.4% for competitors in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Oceania (1.6%) led by Australia and New Zealand, Africa (1.2%) then Latin America (0.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 9015 for surveying equipment, including products used for photogrammetrical surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological and meteorological purposes.
Top Surveying Equipment Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of survey equipment during 2023.
- United States: US$1.8 billion (15.7% of survey equipment exports)
- mainland China: $1.6 billion (14%)
- Germany: $839.3 million (7.5%)
- United Kingdom: $781.4 million (7%)
- Canada: $596.4 million (5.3%)
- Singapore: $534.4 million (4.8%)
- France: $499.4 million (4.4%)
- Switzerland: $494.4 million (4.4%)
- Norway: $445.5 million (4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $424 million (3.8%)
- Netherlands: $357.3 million (3.2%)
- Hong Kong: $354.5 million (3.2%)
- India: $210.7 million (1.9%)
- Japan: $207.1 million (1.8%)
- Australia: $168.8 million (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 82.3% of all survey equipment exported in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of survey equipment since 2022 were: India (up 61%), Norway (up 30.2%), Hong Kong (up 28.2%) and France (up 22.2%).
Listed supplier countries that posted declines in their international sales of survey equipment were: Switzerland (down -11.5%), Australia (down -6.8%), Netherlands (down -2.3%) and the United Arab Emirates (down -1.5%).
Countries Enjoying Competitive Advantages from Surveying Equipment
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for surveying equipment during 2023. 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 survey equipment and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Germany: US$325.1 million (net export surplus up 27.9% since 2022)
- Switzerland: $297.8 million (down -18.2%)
- Canada: $235.2 million (up 11.6%)
- Singapore: $192.6 million (up 12.2%)
- China: $181.6 million (down -62.9%)
- France: $171.3 million (up 65.3%)
- United Kingdom: $152.9 million (down -22%)
- United States of America: $139.7 million (up 64%)
- Finland: $118.7 million (up 15.1%)
- Netherlands: $82.6 million (down -2.6%)
- Norway: $78.5 million (reverses a -$76 million deficit)
- Austria: $68.4 million (down -14.4%)
- Hong Kong: $66.7 million (reverses a -$48 million deficit)
- Sweden: $61.7 million (up 181.9%)
- Israel: $48.5 million (up 74.2%)
Germany generated the highest surplus in the international trade of survey equipment. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Germany’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Suffering Competitive Disadvantages from Surveying Equipment
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for surveying equipment during 2023. 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 survey equipment purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Saudi Arabia: -US$494 million (net export deficit up 272.5% since 2022)
- South Korea: -$172.9 million (up 1.5%)
- Australia: -$172.4 million (up 55.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$160.2 million (up 278.1%)
- Russia: -$135.3 million (up 58.4%)
- India: -$97.8 million (down -41.6%)
- Mexico: -$97.2 million (up 23.9%)
- Indonesia: -$78 million (up 40.3%)
- Brazil: -$77.8 million (up 22.4%)
- Algeria: -$77.4 million (up 21.7%)
- Italy: -$67.4 million (up 178.1%)
- Japan: -$57.9 million (down -41.2%)
- Iraq: -$56.1 million (up 44.1%)
- Chile: -$52.1 million (up 11.5%)
- Spain: -$40.5 million (down -3.7%)
Saudi Arabia and South Korea incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of surveying equipment. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights both countries’ strong competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for survey equipment-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Survey Equipment Companies
Below are global survey equipment-processing conglomerates that represent established players that sell geospatial measurement apparatus and supporting materials internationally. Shown within parenthesis is the home country for each business.
The top two businesses, Bechtel and Larson Design Group, were reported on Point of Beginning’s list of top 100 geospatial companies.
- Bechtel (United States)
- Larson Design Group (United States)
- Geo Industries Co Ltd (China)
- Imajing (France)
- Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany)
- Sun Survey Systems (India)
- Leica Geosystems (Switzerland)
- Bathey Survey Markers, Inc (United Kingdom)
- Datum Survey Products Ltd (United Kingdom)
- Renishaw (United Kingdom)
- Dunham & Morrow Inc (United States)
- SECO (United States)
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following firms are examples of surveying equipment providers. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Shanghai Huace Navigation Technology Ltd (China)
- STS Corporation (Japan)
- EIE Instruments Private Limited (India)
- Zhangfuying Inc (Hong Kong)
- International Surveying Equipment Ltd (United States)
- Surveying Systems (Pakistan)
See also Top Industrial Robots Exporters, Electronic Circuit Components Exports by Country and Heart Pacemaker Export Sales by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for survey equipment. Accessed on December 15, 2024
dmoz directory, Land Surveying Equipment Manufacturers. Accessed on December 15, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on December 15, 2024
Point of Beginning, POB Top 100 Geospatial Companies. Accessed on December 15, 2024
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on December 15, 2024
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on December 15, 2024
Wikipedia, List of surveying instruments. Accessed on December 15, 2024