Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has warned Donald Trump that his decision to stop a US manufacturing company from sending respirators to Canada could prompt retaliatory measures.
The Trump administration ordered 3M, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of protective healthcare equipment, to stop exporting protective masks to Canada and Latin America on Thursday.
Mr Trudeau said medical equipment “goes both ways across the border,” and noted that thousands of nurses travel from Canada to work in Detroit every day.
“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,” he said.
Mr Trump said Wednesday that he used the Defence Production Act, a Korean War-era law, to compel 3M to sell its equipment to the US government.
Child predator among more than 300 nabbed in cannabis farm ICE raid, largest of Trump’s second term
Kash Patel torches ‘conspiracy theories’ about Bondi feud amid MAGA furor over Epstein files
Border czar Tom Homan’s message to anti-ICE protesters: ‘You want some? Come get some’
The Doctor was in (and out): Biden’s physician invokes Fifth Amendment during deposition
Protesters clash with conservatives at Turning Point’s Student Action Summit in Tampa Bay
Trump administration’s Texas flood disaster response ‘fundamentally different’ from Biden’s approach: Noem
Hero or Villain? Supporters Rally Around Doctor Facing Federal Charges Over Fake Vaccine Cards
Trump defends embattled AG Pam Bondi, says ‘nobody cares about’ Jeffrey Epstein
IRS Issues Game-Changing New Guidance to Churches as Trump Notches Another Win for Christians
Trump Admin Responds to Farmer Backlash on Deportation, Launches New Program: Report
Trump threatens to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship
White House Trolls Controversial ‘Superman’ Movie with Trump and the Hero’s Iconic, Classic Tagline
Secret Service briefed on threat to Trump ten days before Butler shooting: GAO
Largest US Teacher’s Union Makes Embarrassing Mistake as It Labels Trump a ‘Fascist’
Polarizing NBA Legend’s Daughter Rips Into ESPN for Mentioning Her Father
“We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks. ‘P Act’ all the way,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. “Big surprise to many in government as to what they were doing — will have a big price to pay!” he added.
Hospitals across the world are facing severe shortages of protective equipment, which puts medical staff at greater risk as they treat coronavirus patients. In the US, many doctors and nurses are re-using their masks every day.
3M said it had been asked by the White House to limit exports of protective equipment manufactured in the US to Canada and Latin America, which the company opposed on “humanitarian grounds.”
The company said in a statement that there were “significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators. In addition, ceasing all export of respirators produced in the United States would likely cause other countries to retaliate and do the same, as some have already done.”
Story cited here.
