Chinese exports of much-needed N95 respirators, surgical masks and other personal protection equipment were delayed for a fourth day on Tuesday as China’s customs agency left unresolved a crucial regulatory issue.
Responding to complaints from Europe that some medical supplies had quality problems, the General Administration of Customs ordered two weeks ago that only factories with medical certification from the Chinese government could continue to export medical supplies.
The new order blocked exports from factories that previously made everything from cranes to cellphones but are now manufacturing medical supplies in response to the pandemic. Obtaining medical certification is typically a six-month process.
China is the world’s dominant producer and exporter of face masks and other personal protection equipment. The order also blocked exports by many of the country’s long-established medical supplies factories. These factories previously only made goods for foreign markets, so they had never bothered to obtain Chinese government certification.
The customs agency issued a new regulation on Friday that each shipment of medical supplies must be inspected for quality before it can be exported.
Customs offices have interpreted the new rule as requiring both factory certification and quality inspection. Few medical supplies meet both standards.
At a monthly news conference on Tuesday in Beijing to release China’s export and import data, the customs agency’s spokesman, Li Kuiwen, declined to say whether both rules applied.
“More interpretation of these regulations will be given by China Customs at relevant news conferences,” he said.
In the meantime, exports are stalling and foreign criticism is rising.
“Double-layering of regulations is excessive and is red tape,” said Omar Allam, a former Canadian trade official who is now the chief executive of a global trade consultancy. “The Chinese are really choking the export of personal protection equipment supplies to the countries that need it most.”
NYT
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