Domestic suppliers of N95 and surgical masks are crumbling as hospitals return to buying cheaper products abroad, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 4.
About 70% of the startup mask companies created during the COVID-19 pandemic's shortage of personal protective equipment are now closed, according to industry estimates, and U.S. production of these masks fell more than 90% between 2021 and 2023.
During the pandemic, the U.S. handed out $1.5 billion to domestic companies building factories for healthcare protective gear, and many of those sites are working below capacity or are unfinished.
Once supply chain issues waned, many hospitals were required to resume purchases from foreign suppliers because of yearslong contracts signed before the pandemic, according to the report.
The drop in demand has also caused states to trash millions of dollars worth of PPE.