BREAKING: FDA Pulls Approval for Dozens of Mask Makers in China. “Tests have shown many imported masks perform far short of N95 filtration standards.”

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it had cut the number of mask makers in China approved to make N95-style masks for domestic use to 14, from around 80. That reversed an April 3 decision to allow the imports from manufacturers whose masks hadn’t been tested by U.S. authorities if they met standards set by some other nations or were reviewed by an independent laboratory.

The shift illustrates the challenge to federal officials who are trying to help fill huge demand for masks from front-line workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, while also ensuring that medical gear works effectively.

“We’ve been using all of our authorities to increase availability,” an FDA official said in an interview. “There were a growing number of respirators that failed to meet the expedited performance standards.”

The move follows a report by The Wall Street Journal that found U.S. regulators and state officials had identified a significant number of imported N95-style masks were falling below standards.

Don’t trust China. China is asshole.