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The domestic industry’s woes extend beyond the consumer mask market. In recent months, the medical supply giants that serve the nation’s major hospital systems have eagerly resumed purchasing lower-cost protective equipment from overseas.
Companies including McKesson, Henry Schein and Cardinal Health are lobbying the Biden administration to hold off for a while. tariff exemption in imported protective clothing, which was put into practice earlier during the pandemic. Those who press for the continuation of tax exemption on Chinese masks, American Hospitals Associationsays domestic manufacturers are still unable to meet the growing demand for disposable respirators and other protective clothing.
Opponents strongly disagree, noting that as hospital systems increasingly turn to Chinese imports, many American companies are struggling to find corporate buyers. The price difference is usually a few cents per mask—enough to impress cost-conscious bulk buyers.
In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in October, a dozen Senate Democrats framed the issue as a national security issue. “Instead of providing assistance to Chinese-made products, we must invest in and support our domestic manufacturers so that they can provide US healthcare systems and other essential workers with the high-quality PPE and vital supplies they need to manage Covid-19. Prepare for pandemic and future public health threats” they wrote.
A spokesperson from Ms. Tai’s office said that the tariffs will be reinstated from November 30th.
Company executives said they were encouraged by the language in the new infrastructure bill. strengthens existing rules requires federal agencies to purchase domestically produced medical equipment.
However, government spending alone is unlikely to bail out many of the companies whose sales have fallen as Chinese imports rebound. American Association of Mask Manufacturers, which says he almost half of the group’s 25 members have stopped wearing masks in recent months.
“We’re clinging to the friendly life right now, but the deck is really stacked against us,” said CEO Brian Wolin. Preventive Health EquipmentAn N95 establishment in Paterson, NJ, struggled to rehire dozens of workers who had been laid off in the months before the Delta variant arrived last summer, resulting in a surge in sales.
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