AMMA urges New York to use U.S.-made N95s during wildfire smoke emergency

The American Medical Manufacturers Association is pressing New York state and city leaders to distribute domestically made, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators instead of Chinese-made KN95 masks as wildfire smoke worsens air quality. AMMA says U.S. manufacturers have the capacity to meet current and emergency demand and warns that the current approach could weaken public health, jobs and supply-chain security.

Why it matters: - Wildfire smoke can drive dangerous fine-particle exposure across New York and beyond. - AMMA says the state’s mask choice affects both public health protection and domestic manufacturing jobs. - The dispute also touches supply-chain security and concerns about reliance on overseas PPE.

What happened: - New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed residents to free KN95 mask distribution sites across the city as smoke from Canadian wildfires affected air quality. - The American Medical Manufacturers Association said NIOSH-approved, domestically manufactured N95 respirators are also available in New York and other U.S. locations. - AMMA Executive Director Eric Axel criticized the use of KN95 masks and said state and city leaders had bypassed U.S. manufacturers.

The details: - Health authorities say fine particles in wildfire smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and can trigger or worsen respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. - AMMA says N95 respirators provide stronger protection than imported KN95 masks for this type of emergency. - KN95 is a Chinese regulatory standard. - AMMA says KN95 masks are not manufactured in the United States. - AMMA says KN95 masks are certified by Chinese authorities rather than NIOSH. - AMMA says KN95 masks are generally designed for consumer use rather than high-risk occupational use. - N95 respirators are certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and must meet federal workplace safety testing and auditing requirements. - AMMA says Chinese KN95 certification relies primarily on manufacturer self-certification. - AMMA says reliance on Chinese-made masks raises supply-chain concerns tied to ongoing federal scrutiny, including Section 301 investigations and proposed forced-labor tariffs. - AMMA says U.S. manufacturers have expanded production since the COVID-19 pandemic. - AMMA says member companies can produce about 435 million N95 respirators per year, or roughly 97 percent of estimated routine annual U.S. demand of 450 million. - AMMA says domestic producers could scale to as many as 1.5 billion N95 respirators annually in an emergency. - AMMA suppliers also make reusable respirators with replaceable cartridges. - New York is home to AMMA member companies including Altor Safety, HPK Industries and New York Embroidery Studio / NY Protect, all of which manufacture NIOSH-approved respirators and PPE in the state. - AMMA listed www.AMMAUnited.org as its website and shared a LinkedIn page at AMMA on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - AMMA is using the wildfire smoke response to argue that domestic PPE manufacturing is ready for more public procurement. - The association is also framing the issue as a test of whether New York will prioritize U.S. supply chains over lower-cost foreign options. - The rhetoric around Chinese-made masks reflects broader political pressure over trade, labor and national security.

What's next: - AMMA is calling on Hochul and Mamdani to prioritize domestically manufactured, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators for public distribution. - The group also wants regional stockpiles built on American-made PPE and tied to the Made PPE in America Act and bipartisan federal actions. - AMMA says New York leaders should change course to support public safety and economic security.

The bottom line: - AMMA says New York has U.S.-made respirators available now and should use them during the smoke emergency.