As it became apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic would become an unprecedented crisis, the demand of medical masks suddenly outstripped the supply.

The pressure was on for Sichuan-based textile manufacturer Yibin Grace as people across China scrambled to protect themselves.

The company needed raw materials from abroad. But time was running out, as more global supply lines closed day by day. Once these shut down, so would Yibin Grace’s production. The company needed to remit payment to bring in supply before that happened.

DBS knew the process would usually take a week, if not more: too little, too late. Bringing together multiple departments, the bank pushed through the funding well before the deadline. It was a race against time; DBS knew the health and safety of many individuals and families were at stake.

Yibin Grace got their raw materials, and now produces over 36 million masks a month.