Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that the European Union has announced a ban on Chinese companies from participating in EU government tenders for medical equipment worth more than 5 million euros, citing China’s “discriminatory market policies.” This move marks the latest escalation in trade tensions between the EU and China, following disputes over electric vehicles.
The ban applies to all categories of medical supplies, ranging from surgical masks to X-ray machines. The total EU medical supplies market is valued at approximately 150 billion euros. “We are taking these measures to ensure a level playing field for EU companies,” said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. “We remain open to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.”
The EU has long criticized China for excluding EU-made medical equipment from its public procurement processes. Nearly 90 percent of China’s government tenders for medical equipment reportedly include exclusionary or discriminatory clauses against EU firms.
In response, China accused the EU of protectionism and denounced Brussels’ action as “a typical example of double standards.” The European Commission noted that, despite a year of negotiations, no progress had been made in resolving the issue.
China remains one of the EU’s most significant trading partners. According to Brussels’ data, in 2024 China was the EU’s third-largest export market and its largest source of imports.
Source: DW Chinese, May 20, 2025
https://p.dw.com/p/4wE5G