NPR

German, French Officials Accuse U.S. Of Diverting Supplies

Officials in France and Germany have accused the U.S. of intercepting medical supplies as President Trump ordered an American company to stop exports. Governors complain of a "wild west" in bidding.

As the coronavirus rattles the globe, governments and aid organizations everywhere find themselves in a race to acquire scarce medical supplies and protective equipment — but some say the United States isn't playing fair.

Earlier this week, officials in both Germany and France accused the U.S. of diverting medical supplies meant for their respective countries by outbidding the original buyers.

As of Saturday, there were more than 1 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has the most cases globally, with Germany and France at the fourth and fifth-highest case count, respectively.

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