U.S. Companies Are Finding Out They Don’t Own Their Own Factories In China
BY Herschel Smith
4 years, 7 months ago
Leading US manufacturers of medical safety gear told the White House that China prohibited them from exporting their products from the country as the coronavirus pandemic mounted — even as Beijing was trying to “corner the world market” in personal protective equipment, The Post has learned.
Now, the Trump administration is weighing legal action against China over its alleged actions, a lawyer for President Trump said Sunday.
“In criminal law, compare this to the levels that we have for murder,” said Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to Trump’s re-election campaign.
“People are dying. When you have intentional, cold-blooded, premeditated action like you have with China, this would be considered first-degree murder.”
Ellis said the options under consideration include filing a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights or working “through the United Nations.”
Executives from 3M and Honeywell told US officials that the Chinese government in January began blocking exports of N95 respirators, booties, gloves and other supplies produced by their factories in China, according to a senior White House official.
China paid the manufacturers their standard wholesale rates, but prohibited the vital items from being sold to anyone else, the official said.
Around the same time that China cracked down on PPE exports, official data posted online shows that it imported 2.46 billion pieces of “epidemic prevention and control materials” between Jan. 24 and Feb. 29, the White House official said.
The gear, valued at nearly $1.2 billion, included more than 2 billion masks and more than 25 million “protective clothing” items that came from countries in the European Union, as well as Australia, Brazil and Cambodia, the official said.
“Data from China’s own customs agency points to an attempt to corner the world market in PPE like gloves, goggles, and masks through massive increased purchases — even as China, the world’s largest PPE manufacturer, was restricting exports,” the official said.
But … but … but … “free trade,” “capitalism,” the world is our backyard and giggles and smiles and lots of love and unicorns farting purple pixie dust rainbows over trade partners!
It’s almost as if American corporations sending jobs and capital to declared enemies for the purpose of maximizing quarterly profits for the benefit of boards of directors and analysts who want to play a better gambling game on Wall Street are just shameless whores after all.
On April 6, 2020 at 1:44 pm, George 1 said:
Thank you: Bill Clinton, George Bush I and II, and all of the other “Free Trade” politicians. Thank you: republican party. Your service in the dispossession and the destruction of the U.S. of A is probably unparalleled in world history from a group that is supposed to stand for patriotism and the American way. You, along with your democrat counterparts, have been the best traitors the communists could have hoped for.
On April 6, 2020 at 1:46 pm, Duke Norfolk said:
I’m shocked, shocked, I say, that China would behave this way. Who could ever have predicted this?
See also: Chinese people (who are ostensibly Americans or Brits) sending medical supplies back to China when their “fellow countrymen” are in need.
At least this whole thing is good for a lesson on what a nation actually is, and that free trade kills.
On April 6, 2020 at 1:50 pm, George 1 said:
If things continue as we fear, I would love to see Mr. Cooks’ face when he finds out Apple does not own it’s assets in China.
On April 6, 2020 at 2:37 pm, Fred said:
@George 1, didn’t Trump just make great new trade deal with China?
How Trump manages to not be blamed is amazing, just absolute D and R brain damage. Not only has America been exposed as a corporation masquerading as a country, but the American people have been exposed as desiring nothing more than their personal favorite flavor of incompetent tyrant.
One more time; you are witnessing and will continue witness the most bazaar and even inexplicable behaviors by Americans and every conceivable act of tyranny by its government. And some will never see what is right in front of them.
Immediately BLOCK ALL IMPORTS!!! Better call up all National Guard and Reserves because 3/4th of the world is dependent on American imports, and they won’t be happy. But aren’t those forces full of trannies and womenz “leaders”? Pitty.
On April 6, 2020 at 4:44 pm, George 1 said:
Fred: Trade deals with China? Ha. They can’t be dealt with. China will never abide by any deal that does not include their complete supremacy. You would sooner make a deal with a rabid dog. A few American oligarchs will do well but everyone else will lose in the end.
What has to happen to save this country is just what you said. It would cause a lot of short term pain but in the end we might get our independence back and many jobs would return along with a manufacturing base.
On April 7, 2020 at 7:32 am, Roger J said:
China has been more destructive to the US than Germany and Japan combined in WW2. China must be made to pay. Banning Chinese imports is a mechanism for this. “Legal action” is silly – the Communist Party of China will simply ignore the World Court or any other globalist venue. Hit them where it hurts – their economy.
On April 7, 2020 at 8:42 am, Ned said:
Some people are just now learning they can’t trust a commie.
On April 7, 2020 at 10:38 am, MTHead said:
Ya, it’s call labor strip-mining. No such thing as free anything. Someone always pays.
On April 7, 2020 at 7:12 pm, Randolph Scott said:
Is it time to physically deal with China? They need bitch-slapped really quick and when they rear up stomp the hell out of them. Lock that country down and drop about 1000 Corvid-19 bombs on their asses. Problemo solved.
On April 11, 2020 at 9:44 am, Todd said:
America has a unique opportunity to prosper, starting right now. These sorts of stories should be seared into citizens minds, at least as completely as Russian collusion is in liberal minds. Bring manufacturing back – instead is burning trillions of bailout dollars, spend it in the form of tax breaks to manufacture complete products, including their supply chains, on shore. You want a real economy? Make shit here. It’ll cost more short term, but everyone will be better off long term. We are too dependent on too many things that have to be shipped here. You think blowing up a tanker in the Persian gulf causes issues? Watch what happens if a few freighters from Asia end up at the bottom of the ocean. No computers, no phones, no internet (where do you think spares and upgrades come from?) China is enemy #1 and has been for decades – the government knows it as their own standing armies craft plans based upon this premise. Yet, we let the economy prosper our enemy in order to placate the beast, losing sight of the fact that fattening up your enemies is a really bad idea long term. Divest and then penalize anyone preferring to work with China. This is also an opportunity to bolster the economies of actual allies like The UK, Israel, Tiawan, out northern and southern neighbors and others in our own hemisphere.