A Missouri judge has issued a $24 billion ruling against the Chinese Communist Party after finding it responsible for hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused China of restricting the availability of critical medical supplies, worsening the crisis for U.S. states.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey led the case, arguing that China’s actions disrupted supply chains and forced the state to spend significantly more on PPE. The lawsuit claimed that China nationalized factories producing medical equipment and blocked exports, making it difficult for Missouri to secure necessary supplies.
Judge Stephen Limbaugh, Jr., ruled that Missouri presented overwhelming evidence proving that China’s interference drove up costs and led to economic losses. Court documents revealed that Missouri spent an extra $122 million on PPE and suffered more than $8 billion in lost tax revenue due to supply shortages and economic disruptions.
Bailey has vowed to enforce the judgment, stating that Missouri will seize Chinese-owned farmland and other assets if China refuses to pay. China did not send legal representatives to dispute the lawsuit, allowing the ruling to proceed without opposition.
Missouri is the first and only state to file legal action of this kind against China. With this ruling, other states may explore similar lawsuits in an effort to recover pandemic-related losses.
This ruling follows an earlier legal victory in the Eighth Circuit Court, which had already sided with Missouri’s claims against China. With China absent from the legal proceedings, the state now faces the challenge of collecting the awarded damages.
