Last Year, Veterinary Medical Device Exports Increased by 2.4%... Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs "Rapid Progress in Manufacturing and Quality Control Standards Review"

Meeting with Animal Medical Device Export Companies

The government recently decided to promptly proceed with related procedures when companies apply for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certification for animal medical devices intended for export, following the establishment of GMP standards for manufacturing and quality control of animal medical devices.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that Kwon Jae-han, Director of the Agricultural Innovation Policy Office, visited Bionote, a domestic animal medical device export company, on the 26th to tour research facilities and hold a meeting with major export companies.

At this meeting, improvements to the animal medical device system were shared, and industry opinions and difficulties for expanding exports were heard.

Bionote is a representative manufacturer and exporter of animal medical devices (diagnostic equipment and kits, etc.). Last year, exports of animal medical devices (including in vitro diagnostic medical devices) amounted to $61 million, showing a 2.4% increase compared to the previous year despite difficult external conditions such as the global economic downturn, indicating continuous growth prospects. Bionote’s export volume accounted for $29 million, representing 48.2% of the total.

Kwon Jae-han, Director of Agricultural Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is holding a meeting with major export companies on the 26th during his visit to Bionote, a domestic animal medical device export company.

Since last year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has made various efforts to strengthen export competitiveness across the agricultural industry and support the sector. At last year’s K-Food+ export expansion meeting, there was a field opinion that “the introduction of animal medical device GMP in Korea is necessary for exporting animal medical devices to countries such as China.” Accordingly, the ministry established the “Regulations on Handling of Veterinary Drugs, etc.,” which provides the legal basis for animal medical device GMP for export purposes, and has been implementing it since the 22nd of this month.

A company representative attending the field meeting requested expedited GMP certification for animal medical devices to facilitate exports. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated that it will promptly proceed with related procedures when companies apply for GMP certification and expressed hope that this system introduction will enhance the quality and reliability of Korean products, thereby strengthening competitiveness in the global market.

This year, the ministry expanded the budget related to animal drugs and medical devices from 10.5 billion KRW last year to 13.7 billion KRW. It also plans to expand support for raw material purchase funds to produce competitive products and support exports, strengthen marketing and sales channel support such as operating Korean pavilions at overseas exhibitions, and enhance support for pioneering new markets with high export potential. In particular, from this year, GMP consultation support will be provided to animal medical device companies.

At the meeting, Director Kwon said, “We plan to operate a task force (TF) until the end of the year to prepare development measures for the animal drug industry so that animal drug and medical device export companies can gain international competitiveness,” adding, “This year, we will also activate the K-Food+ export expansion headquarters and frequently hold communication opportunities with the field to timely reflect various opinions and difficulties of the export industry.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.