China has announced restrictions on government purchases of EU medical devices worth over CNY 45 million.
China’s finance ministry has announced restrictions on government purchases of EU medical devices worth over CNY 45 million (USD 6.3 million) in response to the European Union’s recent trade restrictions on Chinese goods.
This move follows rising tensions between Beijing and Brussels, with the EU imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and China placing duties on imported EU brandy.
The European Commission has imposed a definitive countervailing duty on Chinese battery electric vehicle (BEV) imports, effective as of 29 October 2024.
Meanwhile, according to a Financial Times report on 20 May 2025, the EU is considering imposing a flat fee on small packages entering the bloc, mainly from China. The EU has already implemented anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on nearly 80 Chinese products, ranging from biodiesel imports to ironing boards to bicycles, to address unfair trade practices.
In June 2025, the EU banned Chinese companies from bidding on public tenders for medical devices valued at EUR 60 billion (approximately USD 70 billion) annually, citing unfair access for EU firms in China.
China’s commerce ministry expressed disappointment, stating, “Regrettably, despite China’s goodwill and sincerity, the EU has insisted on going its own way.” The ministry added that China had “no choice but to adopt reciprocal restrictive measures.”
The new rules also limit imports of medical devices from other countries if EU-made components account for more than 50% of the contract value. However, products from European companies manufactured in China are exempt from this requirement.
These measures took effect on 6 July 2025.
