US Mask Manufacturing at Risk Due to Cheap Imports From China

A worker at Rough Linen sews fabric masks in San Rafael, Calif., on April 6, 2020. Rough Linen, a maker of hand crafted linen bedding, has changed its production line and is now making fabric masks that are being donated to local hospitals and healthcare workers who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Evidence shows that cheap masks from China have cornered U.S. domestic manufacturers, according to a report by Nikkei Asia.  As a result, industry professionals are now calling on the Biden administration to take immediate action to ensure self-sufficiency over the national security concerns.

The American Mask Manufacturer’s Association (AMMA) highlighted to President Joe Biden in an updated 1,458-word letter on May 13 the challenges faced by U.S. mask manufacturers. It exposed that China has been continually dumping its products in the U.S. market at well below actual cost.