A manager examines a face mask produced at a factory in the southern
province of Long An. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.
 

A surge in global demand has enabled Vietnam to export over 415 million face masks in the year to April 19. 

The country had shipped 415.7 million cloth masks, fine dust masks and two-layer cotton masks for $63.2 million during the period, according to Vietnam Customs data.

They included 88.2 million masks worth $34 million in the first 19 days of April alone.

Vietnamese textile and garment firms have been receiving constant orders from the U.S. and Europe due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Japan has been the largest importer buying 32.7 million masks, followed by South Korea, Germany, the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore, Poland, and Australia.

While the product has been one of the few bright spots in Vietnam's export picture amid the pandemic, to put things in perspective, China exported around 4 billion masks in March alone.

Vietnamese firms have been unable to export their entire production of face masks due to the need to first meet domestic requirements, but the restriction was lifted by the government on Wednesday.