China Delays Mask and Ventilator Exports After Quality Complaints From Europe

New York Times ^ | 04/13/2020 | Keith Bradsher

[SeekAndFind]

BEIJING — Chinese officials have begun inspecting every shipment of N95 respirators, ventilators and other medical supplies for quality issues before export, a policy likely to delay the arrival of critical gear at hospitals around the world that are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

The policy, announced by the General Administration of Customs on Friday, produced immediate delays on Saturday as manufacturers, freight agents and traders tried to understand how to comply. Depending on the city, they said, the delays could range from a few hours to a few days or longer as government officials rush to comply.

The new customs policy comes after a series of complaints from Europe that medical supplies from China had quality problems. Chinese officials have countered that many of these complaints involved industrial respirators that were purchased for medical use but were not designed to meet those standards.

The new delays come as countries have complained that a global free-for-all for personal protection equipment has left acute shortages for doctors and nurses. These countries include the United States, Spain and, most recently, Russia.

China is the world’s dominant producer of a wide range of medical supplies. Its manufacturing lead has widened in many sectors as it has engaged in a nationwide mobilization of medical supplies production since late January, when Beijing ordered a lockdown in the city of Wuhan to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus there.

China’s daily production of masks and respirators soared from 10 million at the start of February to 116 million just four weeks later.

[rigelkentaurus]

junk is the only thing China is capable of making.

[econjack]

‘Splain this to me, Lucy: How is it that NYC has 7,350 deaths and is about 12,000 miles from Wuhan, but Beijing with 21 million residents and only 6t50 miles from Wuhan has a total of 8 deaths.

[SunkenCiv]

Because, y'know, what do the Chinese care? .

[Sacajaweau]

If only they would examine half their crappy products.

[llevrok]

I can’t imagine they would have sent shoddy products outside of China. Must be a clerical error in order fulfillment/sarc

[Zhang Fei]

[I can’t imagine they would have sent shoddy products outside of China. Must be a clerical error in order fulfillment/sarc]

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Export quality products are superior. That’s why the milk powder scandal killed mostly Chinese infants. The problem here is every idled business in China is jumping on the bandwagon to generate some cash after doing zero business for months. Used to make multimeters for the export market? Now they’re making ventilators. Use to sew clothing for the Gap? Now they’re making N95 masks. Businesses with literally no idea of what they’re doing are getting into the PPE and ventilator business, thanks to the gold rush surrounding coronavirus-related items. Because it’s that or go bust, like so many businesses around the world, due to the never ending parade of lockdowns and other types of quarantines.

[TonyM]

This country needs to wake up and start a grassroots movement to not buy any products which are in any way owned by the Chinese. We need to buy only from friendly countries. I would much rather buy from a Russian owned businesses than a Chinese one but we must first buy the American product if available. We should all refuse to buy Chinese! Our government may not have the guts to punish China but they can’t force Americans to buy Chinese crap!

[mass55th]

"junk is the only thing China is capable of making."

Junk that usually poisons you, or kills you.

[Spktyr]

You might want to look into how the Chinese enforce quarantine and do contact tracing.

Hint: They will literally rip up roads and demolish bridges to stop traffic if they have to, and then they shoot anyone who tries to leave. Contact tracing? They shoot you and anyone you were in contact with.