In 2025–2026, MedTech Europe substantially revised its Harmonised System (HS) trade code list to improve coverage of medical technology trade, expanding the nomenclature from 45 to more than 70 codes focused on final goods. Historical data have been restated on the same basis to support comparability over time.
Europe recorded a positive medical devices trade balance of €4 billion in 2025. This figure is not directly comparable to the €5 billion surplus reported in the 2025 edition, owing to the HS code methodology revision described above.
Trend commentary should rely on the restated historical series rather than a direct year-on-year comparison of headline figures. Trade balance patterns broadly reflect the wider dynamics of the European medtech market, with contractions during periods of crisis followed by recovery and a return to more stable levels.
The main European medical device trade partners remain unchanged following the HS code revision: the US, China, Japan and Mexico.¹