U.S.-based company 3M said Friday that it has been asked not to supply N95 respirators to Canada amid the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered Minnesota-based company to produce and sell as many medical-grade masks as the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it needs. He invoked the Defence Production Act in order to speed up the distribution of masks.
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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,” a statement from the company read.
“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,” the statement added.
Global News has reached out to Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s office asking what the predicted impact of such a move would be on the domestic supply of respirators, but has not yet received a response.
3M CEO Mike Roman said earlier this week that the company is working closely with FEMA and is on track to double global production of N95 masks to two billion a year in 12 months.
Roman said 3M will boost production by 40 per cent to 50 million masks per month in about 60 days.
