Severe shortage of hand sanitizer in the U.S.
Pharmaceutical company BHC told U.S. trade officials in the request for tariff reduction and exemption that the company is converting a production line in China to hand sanitizer for donation to American medical staff and other volunteers, but the company is currently shipping these things to the United States However, additional customs duties must be paid.
In addition, some US chemical companies are seeking tariff exemption for isopropyl alcohol, one of the key raw materials for the production of hand sanitizer. "Local manufacturers in the United States have insufficient capacity to meet the surge in demand for hand sanitizer manufacturers," one of the companies pointed out that the average price of the raw material has risen by about 20% since November last year.
The US trade representative has not commented on such requests. Some US companies have begun to enjoy tariff reductions and exemptions. Last month, the United States exempted tariffs on some medical materials made in China in response to the epidemic, including specific masks, surgical gowns, and sample containers.