America's mask makers face post-pandemic meltdown from freeamfva's blog
The small U.S. manufacturers that rushed to produce face masks over the past year are now stuck with hundreds of millions of unsold face coverings because China is flooding the market with below-cost masks, and most may not survive the end of the pandemic.To get more news about dustproof mask factory outlet, you can visit tnkme.com official website.
That's the thrust of a letter to President Joe Biden released Tuesday by a trade group representing 26 small manufacturers that set up production of the badly needed safety items as the health crisis took hold last year.
The manufacturers said over half their production would be forced offline in 60 days if they don't get immediate federal aid, costing thousands of jobs. They blame low-priced imports, especially from China.
"We write to you with a request for immediate help against unfair trade practices by foreign nations that threaten the viability of the U.S. domestic PPE mask manufacturing industry, as well as future U.S. pandemic preparedness efforts," the newly formed group, the American Mask Manufacturer's Association, said in the letter.The group said they have capacity to produce 3.7 billion surgical masks and more than 1 billion of the higher-protection N95 masks a year - and are now sitting on stockpiles of 260 million surgical masks in their warehouses that they are struggling to sell. Another 20 million N95s are also on factory shelves.
When masks were in short supply last year, prices surged. But prices have now crashed, and hospital administrators and others are shopping for the best prices in a market crowded with new offerings.
A box of 50 surgical masks which sold for more than $50 a year ago can be found for $5 now.
The trade group said while there are 3 to 6 cents in raw material in every surgical mask, imported Chinese surgical masks now sell for an average of 1 cent each. "China ... is effectively dumping masks on the U.S. market at well below actual costs."The Biden administration has pledged to look at ways to support domestic producers of protective equipment - including potentially finding ways to subsidize U.S. producers - but the government reviews are still underway.
"The idea that everyone expressed during the crisis - that we need to avoid (PPE shortages) ever happening again - hasn't changed profit-driven institutions," said James Wyner, chief executive of Shawmut Corp., a West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, maker of engineered materials that expanded into mask production during the crisis. "The distributors are still sourcing their stuff at the lowest price."
That's the thrust of a letter to President Joe Biden released Tuesday by a trade group representing 26 small manufacturers that set up production of the badly needed safety items as the health crisis took hold last year.
The manufacturers said over half their production would be forced offline in 60 days if they don't get immediate federal aid, costing thousands of jobs. They blame low-priced imports, especially from China.
"We write to you with a request for immediate help against unfair trade practices by foreign nations that threaten the viability of the U.S. domestic PPE mask manufacturing industry, as well as future U.S. pandemic preparedness efforts," the newly formed group, the American Mask Manufacturer's Association, said in the letter.The group said they have capacity to produce 3.7 billion surgical masks and more than 1 billion of the higher-protection N95 masks a year - and are now sitting on stockpiles of 260 million surgical masks in their warehouses that they are struggling to sell. Another 20 million N95s are also on factory shelves.
When masks were in short supply last year, prices surged. But prices have now crashed, and hospital administrators and others are shopping for the best prices in a market crowded with new offerings.
A box of 50 surgical masks which sold for more than $50 a year ago can be found for $5 now.
The trade group said while there are 3 to 6 cents in raw material in every surgical mask, imported Chinese surgical masks now sell for an average of 1 cent each. "China ... is effectively dumping masks on the U.S. market at well below actual costs."The Biden administration has pledged to look at ways to support domestic producers of protective equipment - including potentially finding ways to subsidize U.S. producers - but the government reviews are still underway.
"The idea that everyone expressed during the crisis - that we need to avoid (PPE shortages) ever happening again - hasn't changed profit-driven institutions," said James Wyner, chief executive of Shawmut Corp., a West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, maker of engineered materials that expanded into mask production during the crisis. "The distributors are still sourcing their stuff at the lowest price."
The Wall