US Announces Export Restrictions on Personal Protective Equipment

The U.S. will restrict exports of certain personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a notice. The restrictions, which took effect April 7 and will last for 120 days after the notice's publication in the Federal Register (scheduled for April 10), apply to certain respirators, surgical masks and surgical gloves, FEMA said. An exemption is available in specific cases, including for some export agreements in effect since at least the beginning of 2020, the agency said.