Coronavirus: China promises not to restrict exports of medical supplies
- Commerce Ministry says it remembers the ‘helping hand’ other countries gave China and will not restrict the sale of masks, gowns and other vital equipment
- Customs figures shows country has exported US$1.4bn of medical supplies since the beginning of March
China has insisted it will not restrict exports of medical supplies amid growing demand for equipment such as masks and gowns around the world.
“We will not forget that at the beginning of the fight against the epidemic, many countries gave us a helping hand,” Jiang Fan, from the department of foreign trade at the Ministry of Commerce, said on Sunday.
“Therefore, when the situation in China is getting better and overseas epidemic conditions are accelerating, we are willing to make relevant efforts on the basis of epidemic prevention and control to provide support and assistance … China does not and will not restrict the export of medical supplies.”
China exported a total of 10.2 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) worth of medical supplies between March 1 and April 4, according to Jin Hai, deputy director for general affairs at the General Administration of Customs.
These products included about 3.9 billion masks, 37.5 million pieces of protective clothing and 2.4 million infrared thermometers.
China also exported 16,000 ventilators, 2.8 million boxes of new coronavirus test kits and 8.4 million pairs of goggles, Jin said.
But some European buyers have complained about the poor quality of the equipment.