scorecard
  1. Home
  2. Politics
  3. news
  4. At least 5 countries - including a poor Caribbean island - are accusing the US of blocking or taking medical equipment they need to fight the coronavirus

At least 5 countries - including a poor Caribbean island - are accusing the US of blocking or taking medical equipment they need to fight the coronavirus

Sophia Ankel,Sophia Ankel   

At least 5 countries - including a poor Caribbean island - are accusing the US of blocking or taking medical equipment they need to fight the coronavirus
Politics1 min read
plane miami coronavirus medical supplies
  • The US has been accused of blocking or diverting medical goods that have been ordered by other countries to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
  • In the last week, Germany, France, and Brazil have individually claimed that their medical supply orders from China were diverted in suspicious circumstances.
  • The government of Barbados said that US officials blocked the export of 20 ventilators which had been donated to the island.
  • The Trump administration said the reports of US misconduct are "completely false."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US has been accused of commandeering shipments of masks, ventilators, and other essential medical equipment destined for other countries, as the market for coronavirus supplies becomes increasingly fraught.

Government officials are questioning methods used by the White House to acquire supplies, said to include diverting a shipment of masks intended for German police, and outbidding the original buyers on a large shipment of protective gear bound for France.

The Trump administration has pushed back hard against the reports, describing them in a statement to Politico as "completely false."

These are the countries that have so far been affected.

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.

And get the latest coronavirus analysis and research from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.


Advertisement

Advertisement