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<\/p>\nA factory manufacturing medical devices.<\/p>\n
Reuters<\/p>\n
China’s finance ministry said on Sunday it was restricting government purchases of medical devices from the European Union that exceed 45 million yuan ($6.3 million) in value, in retaliation to Brussels’ own curbs last month.<\/p>\n
Tensions between Beijing and Brussels have been rising, with the European Union imposing tariffs on China-built electric vehicles and Beijing slapping duties on imported brandy from the bloc.<\/p>\n
The European Union said last month it was\u00a0barring Chinese companies\u00a0from participating in EU public tenders for medical devices worth 60 billion euros ($70 billion) or more per year after concluding that EU firms were not given fair access in China.<\/p>\n
The measure announced by the European Commission was the first under the EU’s International Procurement Instrument, which entered into force in 2022 and is designed to ensure reciprocal market access.<\/p>\n
China’s countermeasures were expected after its commerce ministry flagged “necessary steps” against the EU move late last month.<\/p>\n
“Regrettably, despite China’s goodwill and sincerity, the EU has insisted on going its own way, taking restrictive measures and building new protectionist barriers,” the commerce ministry said in a separate statement on Sunday.<\/p>\n
“Therefore, China has no choice but to adopt reciprocal restrictive measures.”<\/p>\n
The EU delegation office in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
China will also restrict imports of medical devices from other countries that contain EU-made components worth more than 50% of the contract value, the finance ministry said. The measures come into force on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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The commerce ministry said products from European companies in China were not affected.<\/p>\n
The world’s second- and third-largest economies are due to hold a leaders’ summit in China later in July.<\/p>\n