To address a shortage of essential PPE  in the United States, the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (LinkSME) project, in close collaboration with Vietnamese business support organizations (BSOs), reached out to Vietnamese suppliers and U.S. importers to facilitate the shipment of Vietnamese PPE products to the United States. Last week, USAID and the BSOs identified  around 180 potential Vietnamese suppliers with the daily capacity to produce nearly 800,000 medical gowns, millions of gloves, thousands of facemasks, and other face protective gear, as well as 20 international importers, distributors, and buyers. In addition, the USAID LinkSME project helped expedite sample shipments of medical gowns, coveralls, and protective clothing for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct product testing early next week.

So What? Connecting Vietnam’s PPE product suppliers to distributors in the United States will help save the lives of health care workers on the front lines and the patients they serve. It also promotes private sector-led growth in Vietnam and advances the Indo-Pacific vision of improved trade and competitiveness.