Forbes: China Has ‘Nationalized’ Its N95 Mask Makers
China has ‘nationalized’ the big N95 mask manufacturers, making it harder for buyers here to get their hands on a product that, once again, China dominates, says a big U.S. importer.
“All of our orders, for millions of N95 masks, were canceled last week,” says Leo Friedman, CEO of iPromo in Chicago, who has been importing tens of millions of masks all month. “They were for hospitals and state governments. We told them last week that we can’t get them.”
iPromo is known for making branded giveaway goods seen at trade shows, or other corporate ‘swag’. The company shifted to servicing those clients with medical-related goods, from surgical masks to face shields and anti-bacterial gel in order to stay in business as the trade show market collapsed in the pandemic.
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Update: China Reportedly Takes Control of Mask Production After Numerous Countries Complain of Faulty Exports (Newsweek).
WNU Editor: When I first learned about the possibility of a pandemic in January, I immediately bought ten 3M N95 masks, 50 surgical masks, and 50 surgical gloves for myself. I tried again at the beginning of February, but there was no longer any left to buy in Montreal. The only thing that I was able to score were 50 (one-use) masks, but they only provide minimal protection. By then I knew this was going to be a global problem, so I helped my family in Russia to arrange shipments of PPE equipment from China to go to the hospital in my mother's home town 100 km west of Moscow. The hospital received it only a few weeks ago, and are now using it to not only provide care in their place, but to two other hospitals in neighbouring towns. I tried to arrange the same thing with my family in Ukraine in early March, but I was told by my own contacts in China that it was no longer possible. The manufacturers were hopelessly behind in their contracts, and they warned me that there was a very good chance that the Chinese government was going to seize these supplies because they want to control it. Two weeks ago they called and told me that this is what had happened. Everything has been taken over by the Central Government. No one should not be surprised. PPE equipment has become the world's most valuable product, and Beijing knows too well that the value of PPEs are only going to increase with time. This pandemic is nowhere near over, and as countries look for ways to lift restrictions to get the economy going again, this is Beijing's way of having leverage. Leverage that is clearly working .... EU Report On China's Covid-19 Disinformation Campaign Is Dropped After Beijing Threatened 'Repercussions' (April 26, 2020).
Update: A personal story. A couple of weeks ago I asked a contact in Taiwan and a contact in South Korea if they could ship me some masks. My contact in Taiwan sent me ten 95N masks and 50 surgical masks, and if my tracking information is correct, I should be receiving it at the end of this week. My contact in South Korea sent me fifty N95 masks, 200 surgical masks, and 200 gloves. I was very happy to hear that he was able to scrounge that for me. My intent is to not to profit from this. I have more than enough for my own protection, I just want to give this equipment to my neighbours and friends who have none. In my part of Canada these items are like gold, and IMHO this is a great way to help your neighbours and friends. Sighhhh .... I learned on Friday that my shipment is at Canada customs in Vancouver, and I will need a license to bring this stuff in. The license application is almost 20 pages long, and it will take some time to process it. If the virus will not kill you, the bureaucracy definitely will.
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