China adds 14 EU firms to export control list in response to EU sanctions

China export controls EU sanctions dual‑use goods retaliation 14 European firms

On 24 July, China announced that 14 European companies were placed on its export control list, prohibiting Chinese firms from exporting dual‑use items—goods that can serve civilian and military purposes—to those entities. Foreign organisations are also barred from supplying such Chinese‑made items to the listed EU firms. The move was described by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce as a direct retaliation for the European Union’s decision, issued the day before, to sanction 14 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies as part of its 21st package of measures against Russia.

The European firms named include Tatra Trucks (Czech Republic), Lafert SpA (Italy), Sindlhauser Materials (Germany), Cavok UAS (France), Rheinmetall (Germany), IHC (Netherlands) and others. The EU package also targets banks, cryptocurrency firms and military‑equipment manufacturers, and lists companies from China, India and Turkey that are accused of supplying dual‑use goods to Russia.

China said the export restriction aims to “safeguard national security and interests” and to respond to what it called “unjustified EU actions”. The reciprocal measures heighten tensions between Beijing and Brussels over trade and security policies linked to the war in Ukraine.