Supply shortages could be made worse by the fact that parts for masks and respirators are manufactured in a variety of countries. More than 90 percent of surgical masks sold in the United States are produced overseas, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Parts — or sometimes the final assembly — may be based not only in China and Taiwan, but also in Japan, Vietnam, Mexico and Colombia. “Last week I sent over a million masks to China. That’s one thing I never predicted, that I’d be sending masks to China.”

Source: International New York Times February 06, 2020 15:45 UTC