The US Commerce Department encouraged American manufacturers to sell nearly $18 million in face masks and other protective medical gear to China — even as the coronavirus pushed into the United States, a new analysis shows.

In January and February, US exports of masks and related items to China jumped from $1.4 million to about $17.6 million, more than 1,000% compared to the same two months last year, The Washington Post found. Shipments of ventilators shot up by triple digits.

The federal government began pushing the gear in a Commerce Department flier titled “CS China COVID Procurement Service,” published on Feb. 26 — the day when COVID-19 deaths had reached 2,770, nearly all in China.

A few days later, on March 3, an official in the US Embassy in Beijing told colleagues about the “new service” being offered, according to an email.