LaHood urges Chinese government to lift export restrictions on medical supplies

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and more than a dozen congressional members this week urged the Chinese government to end restrictions on critical COVID-19 testing supplies being exported to the United States.

“As we work to get our country to a position where we can open back up, it’s vital that our states and local communities continue to receive supplies to combat COVID-19,” said Rep. LaHood, a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and co-chair of the U.S.-China Working Group. “While it’s important that we inspect medical supplies coming out of China, products manufactured by U.S. companies that can assist our efforts to fight coronavirus should be exempt from unnecessary export restrictions during this time of crisis.”

The Chinese government on March 31 implemented new regulations on COVID-19 testing kits, ventilators and other medical supplies manufactured for export, resulting in several American companies stopping shipments of medical supplies from China to the United States, according to Rep. LaHood’s office.

“While we understand the goal of preventing the export of low-quality products, these broad restrictions, unfortunately, appear to have the unintended consequence of blocking critical, high-quality medical products from reaching the United States in a timely manner,” Rep. LaHood and 14 other lawmakers wrote in an April 20 letter sent to Cui Tiankai, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China.

“As the virus continues to spread, our states are struggling with shortages of testing kits, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies necessary to respond to this emergency,” according to their letter. “These shortages are hampering efforts to contain the virus and placing healthcare workers and their patients at risk.”

Rep. LaHood and his colleagues requested that the Chinese government exempt medical products bound for the U.S. from the export regulation.

Among the members who joined Rep. LaHood in signing the letter were U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Tom Rice (R-SC), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL).