I see, you are right. Creating new rent-seeking chances is indeed an important piece.
I'm more on the other incentive behind the action. I agree it might not be primary, but to apply this top-down there had to be something more.
it's not cheap even domestically, N95 china retail price is 20RMB right now (not like 3M, domestic brands). Compare to US price ~$6-7 most of that difference is shipping. The price inflation goes all the way to the source production equipment and raw materials, it's every step.
I haven't seen N95 prices that cheap here in weeks. Anything I see is mostly around 30RMB right now (like a 3Q with NIOSH certification). KN95s are still lower.
We've talked with multiple vendors who simply can't get non-woven material stock at all and are having to turn away orders.
No, no, no, no. The point I make is very different. Don't think of them as that dumb.
While, yes, a giant amount of PPE is now being exported in contravention of the ban, the very few well connected companies are making 8 digit sums per day thanks to it.
Also, the Chinese red cross is now very happy with PPE makers having no way to sell their stuff to the West, because now they can buy piles of it on the cheap for export through their "special channel."
The same thing has happened during the ASF outbreak last year. Pork prices soared N-fold, state media were all screaming murder, the national pork reserve was unsealed, but... at the same time, pork importation was quietly banned using overzealous sanitary inspections, culls of otherwise healthy pigs were ordered, and somebody made billions.