While states and hospitals are unable to procure masks for desperate medical personnel, millions of masks are being bought and sold throughout the USA, and often to foreign buyers who are exporting the masks from within the USA likely to gouge us later.
IMHO, we need to block exports of precious n-95 masks...
From the article: But the masks in New Jersey, along with many million more, didn’t go to any domestic buyer. Instead, according to the broker, they were all purchased by foreign buyers.
“Most of the masks are leaving the country,” he told me.
That is not the case in countries that have cracked down on exports, he added, but as of now the U.S. is allowing many types of medical supplies to leave the country even as states and hospital systems are expressing desperate need for masks and other PPE.
While he is aware of brokers selling masks that will leave the country, Remington doesn’t participate in those deals. “This is a national crisis and we need these masks in the country,” he said.
Ah, nothing to bring out the crooks like capitalism.
I’m so proud to be an Armenian, where at least I eat for free! or something like that.
Wow. I had read that China had done this in Jan and Feb, leaving the shortage worldwide. (A keyword of ‘Greenland Corp/Austrailia’) helps begin the search process. Many articles about Austrailia, but they scourged medical supplies world wide.
bookmark.
In the short run, you get sky-high prices. Then supply rises to meet demand. These masks aren’t aren’t exactly high-tech items requiring years of R&D. Price ‘em high enough, and 3M and its brethren will expand their manufacturing capacity and run extra shifts. Nixonian price controls and rationing are not the way to go.
We aren’t at war with a virus. The virus is simply a weapon. We are at war with the Chinese.
Including to China
https://mobile.twitter.com/CloverChron/status/1245219960562962432
So we won’t have them
Beanies babies with a cough
When people in area heard that local hardware store had gotten supply of N95 masks went in bought them out and donated to hospital
I just ordered both washable cloth (3) (mADE IN usa) and 20 throwaway masks. Throwaways at Walmart. 7 day delivery. 20 for $22 free delivery.
Trump can and should ban their export for the duration.
M & M Enterprises
You can blame anti-price gouging laws for 1) the hoarding, 2) the slow resupply, and 3) the skittishness to sell for an elevated price to Americans while foreigners will have no problem paying the higher price. Capitalism doesn’t work well with price gouging laws in place.
China now considers mask making a “MONEY MACHINE!”
We need to ramp up major manufacturing here in USA and stop exporting masks from the USA! (Which is helping to create the shortage!) !!