Coronavirus: Justin Trudeau hints at retaliation after White House orders 3M to halt ‘critical’ N95 mask exports to Canada health workers
- 3M says it will comply with the Defence Production Act to prioritise US orders of N95 masks but there will be ‘significant humanitarian implications’ elsewhere
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls order a mistake, pointing out that thousands of Canadian nurses travel to US to work each day, and trade ‘goes both ways’
The White House has ordered mask manufacturer 3M to halt exports of N95 respirators to Canada and elsewhere that were bound for health care workers, the company said on Friday, pushing back against the US administration amid the Covid-19 pandemic and prompting hints of retaliation from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
There would be “significant humanitarian implications”, the firm said in a statement, in response to the White House’s invocation on Thursday of the Defence Production Act (DPA) requiring 3M to prioritise orders of N95 masks for US authorities.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that he agreed with 3M that the White House order was “a mistake” and pointed out that thousands of Canadian nurses travelled to the US to work every day, adding that trade “goes both ways”.
CEO Mike Roman said his Minnesota-based company would comply with the DPA export ban, even as he warned of consequences for health workers around the world, including Canada, where he said 3M was the “primary supplier” of N95s.
N95 masks are a crucial piece of protective equipment for health workers dealing with Covid-19 patients and are in short supply globally.