Beijing, July 6 (IANS) China will take relevant measures against medical devices imported from the European Union (EU) through government procurement projects in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the Ministry of Finance said on Sunday.

When a purchaser buys medical devices with a budget of over 45 million yuan (about 6.29 million U.S. dollars), if it is indeed necessary to purchase imported products — after going through relevant legal procedures — the participation of EU enterprises (excluding EU-funded enterprises in China) should be excluded, the ministry said.

For non-EU enterprises participating in government procurement projects, the proportion of medical devices imported from the EU that they provide should not exceed 50 per cent of the procurement’s total contract amount.

The above measures do not apply to procurement projects that can only be met by medical devices imported from the EU, according to the ministry.

This notice will come into effect on July 6, 2025. For procurement projects that have already announced winning bids or transaction results before July 6, the above measures don’t apply herein and government procurement contracts may continue to be signed, the ministry said.

A spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry commented on the issue on Sunday, noting that the European Commission introduced measures on June 20, 2025, which restrict Chinese enterprises and products from participating in the EU’s public procurement of medical devices and continue to set up barriers for Chinese firms in public procurement, reported Xinhua news agency.

The spokesperson said that China had repeatedly expressed through bilateral dialogue its willingness to resolve differences with the EU via such dialogue, and through consultation and bilateral government procurement arrangements.

Regrettably, despite China’s goodwill and sincerity, the EU has insisted on taking restrictive measures to build new protectionist barriers, the spokesperson noted.

“Therefore, China has no choice but to take reciprocal restrictive measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and maintain a fair competition environment,” said the spokesperson.

The ministry emphasised that China’s measures only apply to medical device products imported from the EU, and those produced by EU-funded enterprises in China are unaffected.

–IANS

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