While the generalization of the FFP2 mask is mentioned, the French industry is on the war footing to increase production.
To fight against the Omicron variant, the FFP2 mask has seen renewed interest in recent days. A study published in December affirms that its effectiveness against the risks of contamination is much higher than that of surgical masks. And politicians quickly got hold of the subject. The unfortunate candidates for the LR nomination Eric Ciotti and Philippe Juvin call for it to be generalized. Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Fabien Roussel, respectively rebellious and communist candidates, promise to distribute them during their presidential meetings.
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But will France be able to cover this increase in demand for FFP2 masks on its own, especially in the event that its wearing becomes more widespread? The French mask industry has been structured since the start of the health crisis. While the sector had barely four companies at the start of 2020, they are now more than thirty capable of producing up to 120 million surgical and FFP2 masks per week. However, French companies do not dominate their domestic market.
80% of masks imported from China
“Today, 80% of the masks used in France – surgical and FFP2 combined – come from China and 20% from France”, believes the president of the union of French mask manufacturers F2M Christian Curel who regrets having seen its factories operate in sub-regime in 2020. Nevertheless, the representative promises that his sector is capable of providing much more, in particular FFP2. “We have plenty to be autonomous in FFP2 in France”, says Christian Curel of the F2M union.
“The French sector is fully capable of meeting the needs of VET2 in the country, even in the event of an increase in demand”, we confirm to the office of the Minister for Industry Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The manufacturers of tricolor masks thus claim to be able to produce more than 20 million FFP2 masks per week if they optimize their organization.
At the head of the producer of Prism masks, Christian Curel has already noticed a rebound in demand for FFP2 since the end of 2021. His company will double its workforce to support this sudden increase in activity after months of production in France. slow motion.
The state calls for the purchase of French or European masks
The French sector should directly benefit from the support shown by the State. A circular sent in mid-December to the ARS (Regional Health Agencies) calls on hospitals and clinics to promote the purchase of French and European masks on the grounds of their reliability and quality. The Minister of Industry Agnès Pannier-Runacher also defended a responsible purchasing initiative “In the service of reindustrialisation”.
Read alsoMasks, gloves: hospitals encouraged to buy French and European
If they welcome the circular, the manufacturers ask the government to go even further in its support. They want the public authorities to openly promote “National preference” in order to take full advantage of the craze for FFP2 masks without suffering from the Chinese competition that they consider “Unfair”. “The Chinese state subsidizes the production of masks, which is therefore two to three times less expensive than in France”, justifies Christian Curel.
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The lower quality of Chinese FFP2 masks poses problems, including for health. In June, nearly 17 million FFP2 masks from Chinese imports were recalled by French health authorities. They contained graphene, a potentially harmful product.