China has added 14 European Union entities to its export control list, prohibiting the shipment of dual-use goods to the named organisations in a direct response to Brussels’ newest round of sanctions targeting Russia.
The order, announced Friday by the Ministry of Commerce, takes effect immediately. It bars Chinese firms from exporting dual-use items — products with both civilian and military applications — to the 14 designated entities, and prohibits foreign companies from supplying those organisations with dual-use goods made in China.
The affected European firms include Czech vehicle manufacturer Tatra Trucks, Italian electric motor maker Lafert SpA, German manufacturer Sindlhauser Materials GmbH and French drone maker Cavok UAS.
The measures were designed “to safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, in response to the E.U.’s egregious actions,” a Commerce Ministry spokesperson said.
The move came one day after the European Union adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. That package targeted banks, cryptocurrency companies and military equipment manufacturers, and included 14 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong enterprises accused of supplying Moscow with dual-use goods and technology.
Brussels’ latest measures also named entities from India and Turkey, reflecting a broadening effort to close off channels through which Russia is believed to acquire restricted materials.
The reciprocal designations mark the latest friction point in an increasingly strained economic relationship between Beijing and Brussels, which has spanned disputes over electric vehicles, industrial subsidies and critical materials. The two sides have continued negotiations over tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles even as other areas of trade have grown more contentious.
Beijing has consistently rejected accusations that its companies are aiding Russia’s military effort, maintaining that it does not provide lethal weapons to any party in the conflict and that normal trade with Russia should not be penalised.
Dual-use export controls have become a recurring instrument in the broader contest over technology and supply chains, with major economies increasingly using them to restrict the flow of sensitive components.
The listing of European firms suggests Beijing intends to respond in kind to future designations, raising the prospect of further tit-for-tat measures as the EU maintains pressure over the war in Ukraine. Businesses on both sides now face heightened uncertainty over cross-border shipments of components with potential military uses.