China responds to EU ban with import restrictions of medical equipment

China enacted new measures, effective immediately, targeting the procurement of certain medical devices imported from the European Union in government purchasing programs, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Finance on Sunday.

This move follows the European Commission, the EU's executive body, introducing steps to restrict Chinese companies and products from taking part in its public procurement of medical devices last month.

The ministry notice stipulates that for procurement projects with a medical device budget exceeding 45 million yuan ($6.28 million), the EU businesses, excluding those EU-funded but operating within China, will be excluded from participation.

The restrictions apply to medical devices such as surgical instruments, medical magnetic resonance equipment, blood-based pharmaceutical preparations, orthopedic implant components, and medical laser devices.

For non-EU companies involved in such procurements, the value of EU-imported medical devices must not exceed 50 percent of the total contract amount, the notice said.

These restrictions, however, do not apply to projects where only EU-imported medical devices can meet the procurement requirements, according to the new rule.

Also on Sunday, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce said that China has repeatedly expressed in bilateral dialogues its willingness to properly address differences with the European side through consultations and arrangements on government procurement.

"Regrettably, the EU has ignored China's goodwill and sincerity, and proceeded with restrictive measures that create new protectionist barriers," said the ministry official in an online statement.

As a result, China has been compelled to introduce reciprocal restrictions. These measures are aimed at safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and ensuring a fair and competitive environment, said the spokesperson.

Noting that linking market access to geopolitical considerations only serves to erode trust, Wang Qian, a researcher specializing in international trade at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said the two sides should resolve such disputes through dialogue and negotiation.

Wang said that cooperation, rather than tit-for-tat restrictions, is essential to maintaining fair market access and a stable global trade environment.

Chen Jianwei, a researcher at the University of International Business and Economics' Academy of China Open Economy Studies in Beijing, said that for years, global medical device manufacturers, especially those from Europe, the United States and Japan, have benefited from extensive access to the Chinese market.

"A fair and competitive environment is fundamental for driving continuous product innovation and advancing the development of free trade," said Chen.

The actual use of foreign direct investment in China's high-tech industries reached 109.04 billion yuan between January and May of 2025, with foreign direct investment rising 59.2 percent year-on-year in the chemical pharmaceuticals manufacturing sector and 20 percent on a yearly basis in the medical instrument and equipment manufacturing sector, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.