As countries scramble for face masks to protect their healthcare workers from the coronavirus, German and US manufacturers in Europe are seeing an opportunity to take on big Asian rivals and bring mask production closer to home, Reuters reported.

With about 700,000 Europeans living with the infection, it translates into a daily need for about 10 million N95 masks, or more than 3.8 billion a year.

European governments are seeking to nurture a domestic mask industry after running into fierce competition with US buyers for shipments from Asia.

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