Trump asks medical supply firm 3M to stop selling N95 respirators to Canada
U.S.-based company 3M said Friday that it has been asked by the Trump administration not to supply N95 respirators to Canada amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Minnesota-based company to produce and sell as many medical-grade masks as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it needs. He invoked the Defence Production Act in order to speed up the distribution of masks.
The statement also warned that limiting supply to other countries could lead to them “retaliating” with similar measures.
“If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease. That is the opposite of what we and the administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek,” the company said.
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news, saying the government is in close contact with U.S. officials on the issue.
“We are discussing very closely with the United States the importance of keeping the flow of essential goods and services across our border to help both countries,” Trudeau said. “I am confident that the close and deep relationship between Canada and the U.S. will hold strong and we will not have to see interruptions in supply chain in either directions.”
Trudeau said he hopes to avoid a scenario where Canada is forced to retaliate against U.S. measures.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also spoke out against Trump’s decision on Friday, saying he expressed his disappointment in a phone call with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
“We’re the closest trading partners anywhere in the world, if you look at ourselves, Canada and the U.S., we are connected at the hip,” Ford told reporters.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called the move “reckless,” while British Columbia’s Health Minister Adrian Dix said it’s important for the two countries to work together and not go “tit-for-tat” over supplies.
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