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.
Trump announces ‘rally to end all rallies’ in DC to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary
AOC dodges questions on abuse allegations, Nazi tattoo claims rocking Platner’s campaign
CA City Puts up Cameras in 18 Locations, Catches Citizens Breaking the Law 151,000 Times in Just 1 Month
Watch: Trump Sets the Record Straight on His Explosive Conversation with Netanyahu
‘He hated women’: Explosive abuse, new Nazi tattoo allegations from exes rock Platner’s campaign
‘I Would Rape Them to Show Them I’m Dominant’ – Graham Platner’s Campaign Won’t Dispute Shocking Quote in NYT Report
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire could undermine Hezbollah and Iran with state-to-state cooperation
Hunter Biden could mount a successful White House bid given recent Democrat picks: Trump
BREAKING: NYT Drops Graham Platner Domestic Violence Bombshell Report – Scared, Left Marks, Wrenched Arms, According to Ex-Girlfriend
Woman’s body washes ashore in Florida as investigators dig into beach discovery
Shelter-in-place order issued in Chicago suburb as police hunt suspect after reported shooting
Trump Upbraids 4 Republicans Who Sided with Dems on Iran War Powers Resolution Vote During Peace Negotiations
Bessent spars with Dem in fiery Trump tax showdown until claim crosses the line: ‘Slanderous’
SEE IT: Lavish $35M mansion bought by tech CEO accused of feeding US gear to Iran’s nuclear machine
Famous YouTuber Doesn’t Get the Response He Hoped for After Explaining Why He Murdered His Unborn Child
“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.
