US Talks of Barring Mask Exports to Canada
President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act to try to claim more 3M masks for U.S. workers, made in the U.S. or in China. The company issued a statement April 3 that said: “In the course of our collaboration with the Administration this past weekend, the Administration requested that 3M increase the amount of respirators we currently import from our overseas operations into the U.S. We appreciate the assistance of the Administration to do exactly that. For example, earlier this week, we secured approval from China to export to the U.S. 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by 3M in China.
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“The Administration also requested that 3M cease exporting respirators that we currently manufacture in the United States to the Canadian and Latin American markets. There are, however, significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators.”
3M warned that if the U.S. bans all exports of N95 masks, it could end up with fewer masks, since other countries might retaliate.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada sends medical goods to the U.S. every day -- as well as nurses or doctors who commute to work in border states. “These are things that Americans rely on, and it would be a mistake to create blockages or reduce the amount of back-and-forth trade of essential goods and services, including medical goods, across our border. That is the point we are making very clearly to the American administration right now,” he said, in a Canadian Press report. “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 chains in either direction.”