Vietnam gives the U.S. 250,000 locally made medical masks

• Masks are worth $100,000, Ministry of Foreign Affairs says
• Vietnam also gives Japan $100,000 of masks, medical equipment

Vietnam is donating 250,000 domestically made medical masks to the U.S., which has seen deaths from the novel coronavirus top 30,000.

The masks, including 50,000 given to the White House, are worth at least $100,000, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam also gave Japan masks and locally made medical equipment worth $100,000, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement.

The gifts to the U.S., Vietnam’s largest single export market, and Japan follow similar mask donations to Cambodia, Laos and European countries including Russia, France, and Italy. Vietnam delivered 450,000 medical protective suits made by DuPont Inc.’s Haiphong facility to Dallas, Texas earlier this month.

The mask giveaways come as Vietnam’s garment industry shifts from making shirts and skirts to medical protective gear as the spread of the virus has slowed orders from the U.S. and Europe.

By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen – Bloomberg – April 16, 2020