They typically traverse the globe with little fanfare, but they could be the most important factor in today's global marketplace, responsible for people's health, fragile financial markets and even the strongest economies.
Surgical masks, one of the first lines of defense against the spread of coronavirus, have more recently emerged as a new arena where countries are raising export barriers.
Citing reasons involving life and death rather than fears about protectionism, health experts are urging policymakers to let masks flow easily across national borders, with mixed success.
Germany has sparked a diplomatic row with its neighbours after stopping a Swiss truck carrying 240,000 face masks. Switzerland and Austria are calling on Germany to lift the barriers partly because both sit on the northern border of Italy, Europe's virus hotspot.
"Industry and governments must act quickly to increase supply, ease export restrictions and take steps to stop speculation and hoarding." "Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a statement last week.
Days after, South Korea, Germany and Russia announced export bans on masks and other protective equipment. They joined other nations or territories, such as India, Taiwan, Thailand and Kazakhstan, which previously put restrictions in place. The new coronavirus has spread to more than 113,000 cases worldwide and killed more than 3,900 people.
A global shortage of masks could be about to get worse.
«Anything that bans medical supplies will not solve the problem of how they will get the products in time to meet these acute needs.s", Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Before the epidemic, China produced about half of the world's mask output with a daily production of about 20 million units, according to state media Xinhua.
The Trump administration last week granted tariff exemptions for a range of medical products imported from China, including face masks and medical gloves. It also comes at the same time that some White House officials are pushing to stockpile U.S. supplies and shift supply chains away from China.
The United States has only about 1% of the 3.500 billion masks it needs to combat a severe outbreak, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. The country plans to buy 500 million surgical masks and respirators for the national stockpile.
Source: Bloomberg
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