China’s Ministry of Finance said on 6 July it is barring European Union suppliers from taking part in government procurement of medical devices valued above 45 million yuan (about $6.3 million). The restrictions also apply to products from third-country vendors if more than half of their components are made in the EU. The Commerce Ministry described the move as a “reciprocal” step, adding that equipment manufactured in China by EU-invested firms will not be affected. Beijing’s action answers a decision announced by the European Commission on 20 June that excludes Chinese companies from EU public tenders for medical equipment worth more than €5 million. The measure—covering contracts estimated at roughly €60 billion a year—marks the first use of the bloc’s International Procurement Instrument, in force since 2022. Brussels said an investigation found that EU firms faced legal and administrative barriers in China, with 87 % of Chinese tenders in the sector classed as discriminatory. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the bloc’s aim is to “level the playing field for EU businesses”. China countered that the EU is “building new protectionist barriers” and insisted it had “no choice but to adopt reciprocal restrictive measures”. Both sides left the door open to reversing the curbs if market-access conditions improve. The spat adds to a widening list of trade frictions that includes EU tariffs on China-built electric vehicles and Chinese duties on EU brandy. With leaders from the world’s second- and third-largest economies due to meet later in July, the twin medical-device bans underscore the difficulty of de-escalating tensions while each side pursues what it sees as fairer market access.