China has faced criticism for not only unleashing the coronavirus on the world but also sending defective medical supplies to countries reeling from the deadly virus that originated in Wuhan. In response, China has finally begun additional inspections of exported medical supplies, which are reportedly causing countries throughout Europe to experience delays as they await shipment of much needed medical supplies from China.
Problems with the supply chain of medical equipment have been exposed by the global pandemic of COVID-19, as countries report problems of defective and substandard medical supplies stemming from a general overdependence on China. The Chinese government has begun implementing additional inspections of its exports after serious problems were experienced throughout Europe.
(Via The Hill)
Delays were reported Saturday after China began requiring additional inspections on exported medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chinese government issued a new order Friday adding 11 products to a list of items requiring additional inspections, the South China Morning Post reported.
Beijing, under the General Administration of Customs, has mandated inspections on items such as face masks, testing kits, ventilators, hospital gowns and infrared thermometers.
Other items that will undergo quality inspections before shipment include surgical goggles and gloves, according to The Wall Street Journal.
No estimate has been given as to how long the additional inspections will take.
The new policy sparked reports of widespread delays to cargos on Saturday as manufacturers and traders struggled to figure out how to comply with the order.
Authorities across Europe rejected thousands of testing kits and medical masks that came from China after the medical supplies turned out to be defective or failed to meet safety standards, the BBC reported. The Dutch health ministry had to recall 600,000 face masks which had already been distributed to front-line medical workers after it was discovered the masks' filters failed to work properly despite having a certificate of quality stating otherwise. The masks arrived from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21.
Spain's government reported that nearly 60,000 COVID-19 tests that came from China have turned out to be defective. According to the Chinese Embassy in Spain, Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology, the company that provided the test kits, did not have an official license from China to sell its products overseas. Turkey also said they had experienced similar issues with supplies coming from China.
