Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

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.

The company said it had been working closely with the White House to meet its request to satisfy demand from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ahead of others, and it was looking forward to implementing the order.

But the Trump 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 health care workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators,” it said.



3M also warned that cutting off exports would cause other countries to do the same, resulting in less overall availability of N95 masks in the US, not more.

“If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease,” 3M said.

“That is the opposite of what we and the administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek.”

In an interview with CNBC, Roman said the company was “net importing [N95 masks] into the US, and we’ve been telling the administration [that] for days and days”.

“We’re more than happy to shift our overseas production to the US, but there are going to be consequences on a humanitarian level. We are often the sole provider of those respirators in countries around the world,” he said.

“We will comply with DPA,” said Roman, “and we are taking steps to increase our imports, where we have that ability.”

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he anticipated issuing more orders under the Defence Production Act “in the very near future”.

“We assigned an element of the act against 3M and hopefully they'll be able to do what they are supposed to do,” he said.

Trudeau said in response to questions at a press conference on Friday that it “would be a mistake for both of our countries to limit access to goods and essential personnel”.

“3M has indicated it understands how important it is to deliver to Canada [and] it would be a mistake to restrict trade in essential goods,” he said.

He pointed out that thousands of nurses travelled to Detroit every day to work, and Canada also sent important medical equipment to the US.

“We are receiving essential supplies from the US but the US also receives essential supplies and products and indeed healthcare professionals from Canada every single day…these are things that Americans rely on,” he said.

3M said that last weekend the White House had requested that it increase imports of N95 masks from its overseas factories. It said that this week it obtained approval from China to send to the US 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by its mainland operation.

“We will continue to maximise the amount of respirators we can produce on behalf of US health care workers, as we have every single day since this crisis began,” the company said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×