War for Masks

Analysis by Rhea Haddad, Staff Writer

April 14th, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across Europe and the United States, a global rush for protective equipment such as masks and gloves is underway. In France, they are calling it "la guerre des masques" – the war for masks.

A month ago, the general director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebeyesus, said that "prices of surgical masks have increased six-fold, N95 respirators have more than tripled, and gowns cost twice as much. […] Supplies can take months to deliver, market manipulation is widespread, and stocks are often sold to the highest bidder."

The competition is global - there is a scarcity of medical equipment and countries struggle to secure their supplies. Some of them resort to aggressive approaches to meet their needs. Among these countries, the United States, with its green dollars, paid twice or even three times the price in cash to divert shipments. Planes forget their original destination and their cargoes are sent directly to the U.S.

Over the past few weeks, the Americans have seized several planes carrying masks to France. Renaud Muselier, president of the Sud region, defines this quest for masks as a "global treasure hunt". This hunt is not always simple, and the problem of securing masks is not due to logistics and is not related to missing aircrafts but rather to accessing products from orders that are not always delivered. Moreover, there is a huge demand coming to China from the United States, Europe, and the entire world, but due to its limited resources, China is only selling to the highest bidder. But France was not the only victim of these captures. Berlin was also confronted with a similar diversion, described by Andreas Geisel, the interior minister for Berlin state, as "an act of modern piracy". 

Nevertheless, Americans are not the only ones involved in this hostile mask business. The Czech Republic has also taken-over protective equipment originally intended for Italy. France is not just a victim either. Four million masks which were owned by a Swedish company and which transited through France were partially requisitioned, letting only half of them reach their original destination.

What countries must retain from this war is that they have to minimize their dependence on other countries in terms of medical equipment. A Canadian gin factory turned to the production of sanitizers and Russian factories switched to sewing masks. France, Spain, Germany, and the UK are all trying to accelerate the domestic production of personal protective equipment (PPE) as scarcities bite. However, this process cannot happen overnight because of the massive volumes needed now as coronavirus stretches hospital resources across the world. 

In these times of crisis, international trade laws are at stake: For odd days, aberrant laws are being applied by superpowers. The United States ordered the American company 3M, the largest mask manufacturer, to stop exporting to Canada and Latin America. That puts the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994 in question again. The borders between Canada and the United States are highly integrated and the free trade that prevails between the two countries must apply to medical equipment and all essential goods especially in these times.

 

In crises as in wars, when masks fall, the true face of states and individuals arises. Sometimes the knife in the back is planted by neighbors or friends. What we can retain from this is that there no allies and no enemies, only interests at stake when a state is at risk. This war against the coronavirus also constitutes an economic war between international superpowers, subject to low setbacks and senseless practices. 

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