In the United States as in many countries, the trade in used and refurbished medical equipment is seen as largely a good thing, a way to make money on idle assets and extend the life of equipment that would otherwise gather dust or be trashed.

But not everyone sees it that way. About five countries outright forbid the import of used medical equipment, and another 16 place restrictions so tough it’s tantamount to a ban. Why does this matter? The loss to the U.S. used medical sector is believed to be huge. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the countries blocking imports are largely developing, middle-income ones – just the sorts to be hungry for equipment while also sensitive to price. And their nearly 3.4 billion citizens, the DOC says, represent almost 59 percent of the potential total export population.

That’s a lot of customers to lose. To help you understand what's going on, here's DOTmed News' breakdown of the five markets with an import ban.

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