"This morning, 450,000 protective suits landed
in Dallas, Texas," U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday in a post on
Twitter. "This was made possible because of the partnership of two great
American companies—DuPont and FedEx—and our friends in Vietnam. Thank
you!"
The U.S. embassy in Hanoi said a second shipment of
450,000 suits from Vietnam would follow "to address the urgent need for
protective equipment for frontline providers responding to the COVID-19
pandemic in the United States."
Vietnam is still working to keep COVID-19 under
control domestically. It has had 251 people infected in total and has recorded
no deaths as of Friday. That relative stability has allowed it to send medical
aid to nations such as Laos, Spain and now the U.S.
The aid stands in contrast to worries elsewhere the
pandemic is encouraging protectionism, with nations trying to limit exports of
medical supplies. The limits around the world range from Moscow suspending
exports of personal protective equipment, to the White House telling 3M not to
sell surgical masks abroad.
Americans are more familiar with buying "Made
in Vietnam" garments and footwear, given the Southeast Asian nation's
large manufacturing base. It is that manufacturing capacity that makes it
possible for firms such as Dupont to speed up production of protective coveralls
in Vietnam. Dupont said it took 10 days to finish the protective suits and fly
them from Hanoi to Dallas — a process that usually takes 90 days and includes
transport on a container ship.
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