Chinese companies are now barred from participating in public procurement tenders for medical supplies in the European Union for contracts worth over €5 million, the European Commission announced on Friday.
Under the new rules, Chinese products can now only make up no more than half of the successful bids. These restrictions respond to measures set by Beijing to favour domestic medical supplies in their public procurement processes.
According to the European Commission, 87% of such tenders involve "exclusive and discriminatory measures and practices against EU-made medical products and suppliers." Meanwhile, China’s export of medical supplies to the EU has more than doubled between 2015 and 2023.
This conclusion stems from an investigation launched by the Commission in April 2024, under the new European International Procurement Instrument (IPI). This tool has been active since August 2022 and was used in this case for the first time.
Exemptions apply to medical supplies that have no alternatives outside China. The Commission describes this move as a “proportionate response” to ensure that the European healthcare system has access to "all necessary medical supplies."
The Commission has noted that its efforts to engage China in "constructive and fair" talks have yet to yield results. However, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič stated that "we remain committed to dialogue with China."
