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I do China sourcing and have decent access to 3-ply surgical masks and limited access to N95 masks. It's really hard to sell either of those to government bodi
by m3nu 7y ago
I do China sourcing and have decent access to 3-ply surgical masks and limited access to N95 masks.
It's really hard to sell either of those to government bodies, even near cost. Already talked to the Red Cross, wholesale pharmacies and different ministries. They generally insist on payment on delivery, which we can't do for larger orders, as factories sell to whoever has the cash at the factory gate.
Some also want EU certifications (FFP2), while many factories in China only have the local Chinese standard (KN95). And some refuse to pay to a company outside Europa, while wanting to buy stuff from China.
So while I'd love to ship some of this stuff to Europe, currently people there are still blocking themselves. Hoping to work something out soon.
- immad 7y agoCan you email me (email in profile) and I can connect you to some people in the US trying to solve this.
- m3nu 7y agoThanks! Sent some details.
- keenmaster 7y agoWhy don't they just charge a higher price to buyers who don't pay cash now? I understand there is a lot of demand, but this does not compute with me. My spidey senses would be going off.
- m3nu 7y agoThis works for private buyers, but these gov agencies have a regulation that doesn't allow them to pay in advance ever. The price isn't the issue. So they can only buy from really big firms, who don't have stock right now and aren't flexible.
- fingerlocks 7y agoHow do I learn more about this regulation?
- m3nu 7y agoNo idea. They told me by email. And it makes sense for normal times. It's probably in a procurement regulation or guideline.
- keenmaster 7y agoSure, but why do all of the smaller firms absolutely need cash right now? If they sell to a government or large entity, payment is all but assured. Even if they have a high discount rate, they can factor that into the price. There's no way they all need the money now to remain in operation.
- m3nu 7y agoWe are way past discount rates here. Firms without enough cash won't survive. Even if you double or triple the price, it doesn't help if you're out of business when they pay weeks or months later. That's why some kind of financing is needed for larger orders that need like $ 1/4m to 1m in outlay first.
- keenmaster 7y agoCan Chinese banks provide bridge financing? You'd think they would be happy to, since half of them are state-owned and China is in a position to help other countries afflicted by Coronavirus. The bank can give the mask company money now. Once the American NGO receives the masks, it can directly pay the bank. That way the bank does not have to worry about the mask company stealing its collateral. The bank might even offer to pay for the provision of masks as a donation from China.
- tehlike 7y agoCurious, I'd think there are a bunch of people willing to provide financing, no?
- m3nu 7y agoThere are some and I'm working on it. But every extra step adds delay.
- inferiorhuman 7y agoHow many zeroes are you talking about?
- m3nu 7y agoNot zeros, but time.
- inferiorhuman 7y agoWhat I'm getting at is that if you're talking tens of thousands of dollars for an order there's a far greater number of people who can put an advance towards that than if you're talking hundreds of thousands or millions per order. Hospitals (public and private) in the Bay Area are publicly talking about sourcing PPE from non-medical vendors (e.g. construction companies) and nurses are protesting in front of hospitals. Seattle area hospitals are making their own. All of which is to say I think that procurement guidelines will be dramatically relaxed. If you can ballpark it I'll ask around.
- m3nu 7y ago> If you can ballpark it I'll ask around. About $0.5 to 0.6 for surgical masks ex factory. My email is in the profile if you got a hospital or similar. Not selling to consumers for now.
- victormartin 7y ago
- jk4930 7y agoEuro here. Would you send me an email (in profile)?
- m3nu 7y agoThanks. Also mailed.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- c1sc0 7y agoI’m working on a fundraiser to help with Corona. Initially our idea was to donate straight to e.g. the WHO. What is the most efficient way to spend money right now?
- m3nu 7y agoPersonally I'd buy stuff in China and ship it to a hospital of your choice. Given they can accept the certification.
- RoboTeddy 7y agoCan you email me? Can connect you to US hospitals in hotspots in California that are looking to buy. They’re currently not using PPE in all the situations they should be due to shortages.
- m3nu 7y agoJust did.
- wux 7y agoLast I heard, my employer (large hospital in New York) is looking to buy. If you could reach out by email, I will pass it along to the relevant people. Thanks!
- saurik 7y agoYou might not see this anymore, but in the hope: I'm saurik@saurik.com and am an elected government official in Southern California (in the United States) working with a nearby regional government, and have just learned that we are also interested in surgical masks (I had previously thought we were only interested in N95 masks). Are you also interested in shipping to the US?