The US shipped millions of masks to China earlier this year, despite warnings from experts that a pandemic was about to hit

Reuters/Brendan McDermid

• The US government reportedly encouraged manufacturers to ship millions of face masks and other protective items to China in January and February, despite warnings that the US would need them.
• In the first two months of 2020, US manufacturers exported roughly $17.6 million in face masks and other vital medical supplies, according to a Washington Post analysis of customs data.
• The Post reported that during those months, White House national security staff received briefings that a pandemic was looming and that coronavirus would not remain contained in China.
• The US has since suffered major shortages of protective items for frontline health care workers and first responders, many of whom ration or reuse their masks.
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American manufacturers were encouraged by the federal government to ship millions of masks and other medical supplies to China this year, despite warnings that those items would soon be necessary, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The US has for weeks suffered major shortages of protective items for frontline health care workers and first responders treating coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, hospitals and local US governments have reported major delays in receiving shipments of those products from China.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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See Also:

• Millions of masks and coronavirus test kits are sitting in warehouses and can't reach the US because of new Chinese policies
• Dr. Fauci throws cold water on conspiracy theory that coronavirus was created in a Chinese lab
• China is attempting to win political points from the coronavirus with 'mask diplomacy' — but it mostly isn't working

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