The European Union (EU), has imposed restrictions on Chinese companies participating in government medical device purchases exceeding 5.8 million euros ($6.5 million) due to China’s discriminatory practices against EU medical device manufacturers.
The latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covers a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth 150 billion euros in the EU, ”the bloc’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said.
The EU’s commissioner, said that the aim was to create a level playing field for EU businesses.
The European Commission found that China has been excluding EU-made medical devices from government contracts, with around 90 per cent of public procurement contracts containing discriminatory measures against EU firms.
In response, the EU would limit Chinese inputs for successful bids to 50 per cent and bar Chinese firms from major state purchases.
EU launched an investigation in April 2024 under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI) after finding China’s procurement market for medical devices had become more closed to EU companies.
The decision comes amid heightened trade tensions between the EU and China, as well as with the US, which has imposed customs surcharges on imports.
The EU’s move aimed to address the unfair treatment of EU medical device manufacturers in China’s public procurement market, promoting fair access and competition.
AFP
