The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into the activities of a China-based maker of wind turbines.
The EU body said that it would investigate Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd on foot of preliminary concerns that it might have been granted foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market.
The probe is taking place under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which was introduced to address what the EU saw as “a regulatory gap”, whereby subsidies granted by EU member states were closely scrutinised under state-aid rules – but those granted by non-EU governments went unchecked.
Goldwind is active mainly in the sector of wind-turbine manufacturing, R&D (research and development), sales, and servicing.
The commission said that it had started the investigation on its own initiative in 2024 by sending requests for information to several companies active in the EU wind sector – including Goldwind.
The possible foreign subsidies that concern the commission include grants, preferential tax measures, and preferential financing in the form of loans.
Its preliminary concerns are that these foreign subsidies may improve Goldwind's competitive position in the internal market and may negatively affect competition for the supply of wind turbines and related services in the EU.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Wednesday responded to an EU investigation into a Chinese wind power firm, describing the probe as involving discriminatory measures.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd., the company under investigation, is a wind power equipment manufacturer and has ranked first globally in newly installed wind power capacity for three consecutive years.
The European Commission, the EU's regulator, on Tuesday announced an in-depth investigation into Goldwind over preliminary concerns that the company may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market.
The possible foreign subsidies include grants, preferential tax measures and preferential financing in the form of loans, according to the European Commission.
MOFA spokesperson Lin Jian said that the EU is sending a protectionist signal by repeatedly resorting to unilateral economic and trade tools and taking discriminatory measures against Chinese companies.
The EU has recently made frequent use of its Foreign Subsidies Regulation to launch investigations into Chinese companies, which were clearly targeted and discriminatory, a spokesperson for MOFCOM said on Wednesday.
In January 2025, MOFCOM concluded after an investigation that the EU's relevant practices constituted trade and investment barriers under Chinese law.
Goldwind said on Wednesday that the company places compliance at the core of its global operations and maintains robust governance while adhering to international and local regulations.
MOFCOM said the EU's use of investigation tools has disrupted mutually beneficial China-EU industrial cooperation, weakened Chinese companies' confidence in investing in Europe, and could slow the pace of the EU's own and the global green transition.
China urged the EU to honor its commitment to market openness and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies of all countries, said Lin.
