EU bars Chinese firms from most medical device tenders
The measures announced by the European Commission on Friday are the first under the international supply vehicle of the EU, which entered into force in 2022 and designed to access the mutual market.
New restrictions are likely to increase the tensions with Beijing with the measures of the EU tariffs on electric vehicles structured by China, the measures of China against the EU Brendi and the rare worlds that the EU wants to be resolved by an EU-China summit in July.
The Commission said on Friday, excluding Chinese companies excluding five million euros from EU government purchases.
An EU official said that the EU Medical Technology Market, which was directed by Medtech European figures, was worth approximately 150 billion euros in 2023 and meets 70% of public purchases. Authorized, over 5 million euros contracts are only 4% of the tenders, but according to the value of 60%, he said.
Successful offers should ensure that they do not contain more than 50% of medical devices from China. If there is no alternative supplier, the exclusion does not apply. EU members supported the plan at the beginning of this month. The Commission said that China has previously preferred Chinese devices for hospitals, and that tender conditions have led to abnormally low offers that profit -oriented companies could not offer.
A commission official said the ban will cover medical equipment, including imaging equipment, artificial body parts and medical clothes.
The Chinese Commercial Ministry of Commerce described the proposed EU measures as “protectionist” and called on the EU to be fair and transparent and to solve differences through cooperation and dialogue of both sides.
The Commission said that China did not propose any corrective action to correct the situation, but it is still possible to agree.
