Producing face masks for export (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam exported 415.7 million face masks worth63.19 million USD from January 1 to April 19, according to the GeneralDepartment of Customs.
Between April 1 and 19 there were 88.19 million face masks worth 344 millionUSD exported, including 51.3 million that were gifts and donations.
Japan was the biggest importer of made-in-Vietnam face masks in the period, with32.7 million, followed by the Republic of Korea, Germany, and the US, with 17.1million, 11.1 million, and 10.4 million, respectively.
In early April, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approvedthe export of medical face masks and protective clothing, as long as domesticdemand, including reserves, is met first.
Such products can therefore only be exportedto countries that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Health's figures showed that there aresome 68 companies producing medical face masks and protective clothing inVietnam. Some garment companies are also investing in producing medical facemasks, besides cloth face masks, such as the Garment 10 Corporation Joint StockCompany and TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company.
The Vietnam Trade Office in the EU has warnedthat the mass production of medical face masks and protective clothing that donot follow technical standards will cause oversupply and damage if such productscannot be exported.
It added that in order for producers to exportmedical face masks and protective medical clothing to the EU, a CE marking is compulsory,which indicates that a product had been assessed by manufacturers and deemed tomeet EU safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of theMinistry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department, urged face maskproducers to pay attention to quality and safety requirements and obtain thenecessary certificates for export./.
VNA
