EU to launch investigation into China’s procurement of medical devices

The European Union is set to launch an investigation into China’s procurement of medical devices to address concerns that Beijing’s policies are unfairly favouring domestic suppliers, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.

The probe may be announced as early as mid-April and could result in the bloc curtailing Chinese access to its tenders, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter.

The probe will collect information from companies and member states and its primary aim is to enter into a dialogue with China to ensure that markets are fair and open, the report said.

China and the EU last year agreed on a need for “balanced” trade ties and discussed medical devices, cosmetics and geographical indicators for food products to redress trade imbalances.

China has previously faced criticism that it has closed its medical devices market to non-Chinese producers and discriminates against foreign producers in public tenders. Reuters