The European Union (EU) has decided to bar Chinese companies from selling medical devices within its member states as a retaliatory measure against Beijing’s restrictions on European imports in the sector, diplomats revealed on Monday.
This marks the first time the EU has deployed its International Procurement Instrument (IPI), a regulation introduced in 2022 designed to enforce reciprocal actions in public procurement disputes.
The decision is expected to escalate trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing following already heightened commercial uncertainties, partly due to the impact of US tariffs.
An EU diplomat, speaking anonymously, described the bloc’s adoption of the restrictions proposed by the European Commission as a proportional response, though specific details were not disclosed.
Earlier this year, an EU investigation found that China had discriminated against European medical device companies in its public procurement processes, especially within state-owned hospitals.
In reaction, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU expressed “profound disappointment” and voiced “serious concerns” over the EU’s move to restrict Chinese firms’ participation in its healthcare procurement market.
