China will subject ventilators, surgical masks and other medical equipment to more stringent customs checks before exporting them, after recipient countries questioned the quality of much-needed personal protective equipment made in the country, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The new rules, introduced Friday, target 11 classes of items to extra inspections. Beyond masks and ventilators, they also include protective clothing, infrared thermometers, surgical goggles and gloves and medical disinfectants.
The move could further slow shipments of medical equipment from China at a time when they are in short supply in many countries, industry experts said.
More than 40% of the world’s masks, gloves, face shields, goggles and protective garments are manufactured in China, according to estimates by the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics.
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