The European Commission has made a decision to exclude Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding €5 million.
The measure follows conclusions of the first investigation under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), and allows no more than 50% of inputs from China for successful bids.
This response is proportionate to China’s barriers, says the Commission, while ensuring that all the necessary medical devices are available for the EU healthcare system. Exceptions will be in place where no alternative suppliers exist. The measures are consistent with the EU’s international obligations, including under the WTO framework, as the EU has no binding procurement commitments vis-à-vis China.
The measure seeks to incentivise China to cease its discrimination against EU firms and EU-made medical devices and treat EU companies with the same openness as the EU does with Chinese companies and products. This is a response to China’s longstanding exclusion of EU-made medical devices from Chinese government contracts.
Global public procurement, worth over €11 trillion per year, is an important business opportunity for European companies. The EU public procurement market remains one of the most open in the world. For example, Chinese exports of medical devices to the EU have more than doubled between 2015 and 2023.
At the same time China has erected significant and recurring legal and administrative barriers to its procurement market: 87% of public procurement contracts for medical devices in China were subject to exclusionary and discriminatory measures and practices against EU-made medical devices and EU suppliers, according to a 2025 Commission report. The report was the result of the Commission’s first investigation under the IPI Regulation, launched on 24 April 2024.
The Commission has repeatedly raised this issue with the Chinese authorities, seeking a constructive and fair solution that would enable EU companies to access the Chinese market on terms comparable to those enjoyed by Chinese firms in the EU. Despite these efforts, China has so far not offered specific commitments that would address the discriminatory measures and practices identified.
The Commission remains committed to dialogue and stands ready to intensify contacts with the Chinese authorities to address this discrimination. The IPI is ultimately a tool to incentivize positive change and create leverage for fairer access. Should China offer concrete, verifiable, and satisfactory solutions that effectively address the concerns identified, the IPI framework allows for the suspension or withdrawal of measures.
