EU plans to restrict access of Chinese medical goods manufacturers to government procurement
The European Union plans to limit the participation of Chinese companies supplying medical products in public procurement on its territory. About this informs Bloomberg.
This is the potential first application of the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), which was introduced in 2022. This mechanism envisages a symmetrical reaction to restrictions on the access of European companies to public tenders in third countries.
The impetus for such a move was the European Commission’s investigation into China’s procurement practices in the field of medical devices. In January 2025, it was established that foreign companies are systematically discriminated against in the Chinese market. Attempts to resolve this issue through consultations with Beijing have not yielded results.
As part of the “Made in China” program, the Chinese government is actively promoting the policy of import substitution, aiming to achieve 85% of the presence of domestic manufacturers in the production of key components of medical equipment by 2025. This has already affected the trade balance: over the year, China reduced its deficit by €1.3 billion and turned it into a surplus of €5.2 billion, according to the EU report.
The restrictions are likely to include both a change in the criteria for evaluating tender offers and a possible complete exclusion of Chinese companies from the public procurement system in the European Union. Such a move could deepen tensions in relations between Brussels and Beijing, especially given the growing global trade disputes.
