Andreas Geisel, Berlin's interior minister, told the newspaper that the diversion of the 200,000 masks was "an act of modern piracy.".
German officials first said that the masks were from US manufacturer 3M, but later said authorities were working to clarify where the masks came from.
3M denied the initial report, saying "3M has no evidence to suggest 3M products have been seized.".
A shipment of protective masks that was bound for Germany was diverted in Thailand and sent to the United States instead, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
3M told Business Insider in a statement that "3M has no evidence to suggest 3M products have been seized.
The Trump administration asked 3M to stop exporting masks made in the US to Canada and Latin America, 3M said on Friday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to incorporate a statement from 3M. »