Latest Breaking News

pnwmom

(108,980 posts) Sat Apr 18, 2020, 02:59 PM Apr 2020

U.S. sent millions of face masks to China early this year, ignoring pandemic warning signs

Source: Washington Post

U.S. manufacturers shipped millions of dollars of face masks and other protective medical equipment to China in January and February with encouragement from the federal government, a Washington Post review of economic data and internal government documents has found. The move underscores the Trump administration's failure to recognize and prepare for the growing pandemic threat.

In those two months, the value of protective masks and related items exported from the United States to China grew more than 1,000 percent compared with the same time last year -- from $1.4 million to about $17.6 million, according to a Post analysis of customs categories which, according to research by Public Citizen, contain key PPE. Similarly, shipments of ventilators and protective garments jumped by triple digits.

"Instead of taking steps to prepare, they ignored the advice of one expert after another," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.). "People right now, as we speak, are dying because there have been inadequate supplies of PPE."

While the percentage increase of exports to China was steep, they represent a small fraction of the overall U.S. need. Throughout the country, the shortage has forced hospitals, nursing homes and first responders to ration masks and other protective gear as they treat infected and high-risk patients, creating a secondary health crisis among first line providers.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/us-sent-millions-of-face-masks-to-china-early-this-year-ignoring-pandemic-warning-signs/2020/04/18/aaccf54a-7ff5-11ea-8013-1b6da0e4a2b7_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1zlK011ys0h8a5-MaMDkA2PcYhfxDHPUpahr8igzGx5OhibrLzcYAa

So much for the claim that the problem was individuals hoarding. As late as March 3, the US announced a new service in China, the "the China and Hong Kong COVID Procurement Service," helping them purchase medical supplies from American manufacturers.

So they set up a special "procurement service" for the Chinese, while telling U.S. governors to eat shit.

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

U.S. sent millions of face masks to China early this year, ignoring pandemic warning signs (Original Post) pnwmom Apr 2020 OP

How horrifically stupid. Heckuva Job Drumpfie (Katrina reference) Evolve Dammit Apr 2020 #1

China's richest man to donate 500,000 coronavirus testing kits, 1 million masks to U.S. TomCADem Apr 2020 #13

private companies sold medical supplies stopdiggin Apr 2020 #2

The "suggestion" is that the US was well aware of the growing pandemic in China pnwmom Apr 2020 #9

"The Art of the Deal" Roy Rolling Apr 2020 #3

And China has sent us milions of stuff too. We live in one world and ought to be sharing Hoyt Apr 2020 #4

I rarely post on DU A Morpheus Felinae Apr 2020 #5

Welcome to the crowd!!!!!!! DENVERPOPS Apr 2020 #6

I thought WASF A Morpheus Felinae Apr 2020 #11

Entirely possible. Liberate is donalds word for it. Pinkflamingo Apr 2020 #8

That "pronouncement" A Morpheus Felinae Apr 2020 #12

Yes, we sent them, and Pres POS accused us of stealing them from work. Pinkflamingo Apr 2020 #7

The president and his pals had ample, timely warning and sent the PPE overseas through a chain Ford_Prefect Apr 2020 #10

This stuffmatters Apr 2020 #14

Brilliant!!!!! Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Apr 2020 #15

Evolve Dammit

(16,747 posts)

1. How horrifically stupid. Heckuva Job Drumpfie (Katrina reference)

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:19 PM

Apr 2020

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

13. China's richest man to donate 500,000 coronavirus testing kits, 1 million masks to U.S.

Reply to Evolve Dammit (Reply #1)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 08:11 PM

Apr 2020

I do not see the problem with helping China when COVID-19 first hit. The problem is that Trump did not use any of that lead time to prepare. China has been providing assistance to the U.S. since then.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/chinas-richest-man-to-donate-500000-coronavirus-testing-kits-1-million-masks-to-us-to-help-in-these-difficult-times/ar-BB119gFF

“Drawing from my own country’s experience, speedy and accurate testing and accurate personal protective equipment for medical professionals are most effective in preventing the spread of the virus,” the Jack Ma Foundation said in a statement. “We hope that our donation can help Americans fight against the pandemic!”

The U.S. government hopes to ramp up testing after failing to produce enough test kits to handle the number of people experiencing symptoms in this country.

As of Thursday, fewer than 14,000 specimens had been tested since January, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In South Korea, meanwhile, nearly 20,000 people are being tested every day.

The majority of Americans are still not allowed to be tested because of strict federal guidelines prioritizing elderly people and those with underlying medical conditions.

stopdiggin

(11,320 posts)

2. private companies sold medical supplies

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:23 PM

Apr 2020

to paying customers. Nothing in this article suggests that U.S. customers couldn't have bought those same supplies. (but they didn't). Is the suggestion that the U.S. government should have nationalized these supplies (including suppliers, stocks and manufacturers) early in the year?

pnwmom

(108,980 posts)

9. The "suggestion" is that the US was well aware of the growing pandemic in China

Reply to stopdiggin (Reply #2)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 04:44 PM

Apr 2020

but failed to begin preparations here. And while they were suggesting that Americans were hoarding, and that that was the reason for medical personnel not having enough, the truth is that the Trump administration was helping companion ship millions of masks to China.

Roy Rolling

(6,921 posts)

3. "The Art of the Deal"

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:24 PM

Apr 2020

This moron ignored $17.6 million in PPE exports to China at pre-pandemic prices. They sell it back to America at the current value of $100 million paid by American consumers.

Great business deal for China, moron-in-Chief.

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)

4. And China has sent us milions of stuff too. We live in one world and ought to be sharing

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:25 PM

Apr 2020

stuff in a pandemic.

And, NO, I don't give any credit to trump. He would have withheld it, touted American First, and bragged of killing Asians.

A Morpheus Felinae

(41 posts)

5. I rarely post on DU

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:34 PM

Apr 2020

because all of you fine folk usually express my opinions better than I ever could, but in this instance I have to respond:
I believe this was all done by design and with the guidance of Putin. A smaller populace means less resistance when TrumPutin attempts to finalize his takeover of the government.

I keep seeing big, red letters flashing COUP! Am I being paranoid or are my survival instincts just kicking in?

DENVERPOPS

(8,838 posts)

6. Welcome to the crowd!!!!!!!

Reply to A Morpheus Felinae (Reply #5)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 03:58 PM

Apr 2020

Hillary during debates: "There is a large right wing conspiracy".....

Pelosi during the impeachment: "All roads lead to Putin"........

Myself and others years ago: "WASF"

A Morpheus Felinae

(41 posts)

11. I thought WASF

Reply to DENVERPOPS (Reply #6)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:15 PM

Apr 2020

the moment I learned Hillary lost the election.

Pinkflamingo

(177 posts)

8. Entirely possible. Liberate is donalds word for it.

Reply to A Morpheus Felinae (Reply #5)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 04:05 PM

Apr 2020

I agree these are scary times.

A Morpheus Felinae

(41 posts)

12. That "pronouncement"

Reply to Pinkflamingo (Reply #8)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:18 PM

Apr 2020

sent a chill down my spine

Pinkflamingo

(177 posts)

7. Yes, we sent them, and Pres POS accused us of stealing them from work.

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 04:03 PM

Apr 2020

Ford_Prefect

(7,905 posts)

10. The president and his pals had ample, timely warning and sent the PPE overseas through a chain

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 04:51 PM

Apr 2020

of 3rd party vendors to sell back to US at inflated prices. Producing a widely inflated need for a shrinking supply at grossly exaggerated prices whille wasting the fuel used to export and re-import products that were here to begin with. The added benefit to producers and resellers was an increased need and unregulated costing due to the spread of the virus while supplies were in transit.

Vulture Capitalist Trump.

stuffmatters

(2,574 posts)

14. This

Reply to Ford_Prefect (Reply #10)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 08:38 PM

Apr 2020

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,071 posts)

15. Brilliant!!!!!

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 08:51 PM

Apr 2020

Reply to this discussion