President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. would ban export of critical N95 masks and other precious medical gear – as he blasted a manufacturer who criticized the administration for halting its shipment to Canada.
'It includes everything,' Trump said of a ban he has described of export of masks, gowns and other equipment.
Trump also tore into 3M Co, saying he was 'not happy' with the company after its CEO called the ban short-sighted and would harm the U.S. on a net basis. Trump had threatened the company with use of a defense production law earlier this week.
'They can push back all they want. We are not happy with 3M. We're not happy. And the people who dealt with it directly are not at all happy with 3M,' Trump said. 'So we'll see whether or not we'll do. We will see.'
'I heard what he had to say' Trump said of CEO Mike Roman. 'I don't know the gentleman. But we are not happy with 3M,' Trump said.
Despite his blanket statement about the ban, Trump appeared to make an exception for key allies on existing orders.
'But if somebody ordered – if Italy, if Spain – who has big problems – these are, countries with tremendous problems, France – if they have long-term orders and they are in there and they want to get certain things, I'd let them go out in certain instances because I think it's only fair,' Trump said. 'They have problems that are proportionately or relatively bigger than our problems.'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the blocking the flow of equipment across the border would be a 'mistake' that could backfire, noting that the country's healthcare professionals go to work in Detroit every day.
Other countries are complaining about a 'Wild West' marketplace where the U.S. muscles aside others in bidding from China.
'Money is irrelevant. They pay any price because they are desperate,' a high-level official in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU/CSU group told Reuters.
The U.S. accepted a shipment of medical gear sent by Russia.
The 3M CEO is calling Trump administration accusations it is engaged in price gouging 'absurd' after President Trump publicly targeted the manufacturer online.
'Nothing is further from the truth,' company CEO Mike Roman said on CNBC Friday.
The company also warned there are 'significant humanitarian implications' to its implication to halt delivery of respirators and other vital products to Canada – and that blowback could ultimately harm the United States.
The company hit back after White House claims it was involved in price gouging – something President Trump personally suggested on Twitter.
'We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks. 'P Act' all the way. Big surprise to many in government as to what they were doing - will have a big price to pay!' The president warned.
Trump uses 'P Act' to refer to the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era law that allows the government to claim priority for essential manufacturing needs.
He invoked the law and ordered the Health Department to 'use any and all authority available under the Act to acquire, from any appropriate subsidiary or affiliate of 3M Company, the number of N-95 respirators that the Administrator determines to be appropriate.'
The N-95 masks are being desperately sought by hospital staff to provide a higher level of protection from the coronavirus.
Ronan told the network: 'The idea that 3M is not doing all it can to fight price gouging and unauthorized reselling is absurd. The idea that we're not doing everything we can to maximize deliveries of respirators in our home country – nothing is further from the truth.'
The company earlier Friday denied being involved in price gouging, as nations around the world compete to get equipment to supply hospitals amid the coronavirus epidemic.
'We also continue to act on reports of price gouging and unauthorized reselling related to 3M respirators. This activity is unethical and illegal. We are working with the U.S. Attorney General and attorneys general of every state, making it clear that 3M has not and will not raise prices for respirators and offering our assistance in the fight,' the company said.
As Ronan put it, 'We are net importing [respirators] into the U.S., and we've been telling the administration for days and days.'
The company said Friday it would increase the production of respirators and import more masks into the United States, after President Donald Trump invoked a law to help ease a shortage in the items needed to protect health staff against the coronavirus.
The company said it will work closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prioritize orders for the masks.
Trump slammed 3M in a tweet late on Thursday after earlier announcing he was invoking the Defense Production Act to get the company to produce face masks.
The Defense Production Act, which was passed in 1950, grants the president the power to expand industrial production of key materials or products for national security and other reasons.
U.S. trade adviser Peter Navarro said that the government had some issues making sure that enough of the masks produced by 3M around the world were coming back to the United States.
'The narrative that we aren't doing everything we can as a company is just not true,' 3M Chief Executive Officer Mike Roman told CNBC television in an interview on Friday.
3M said on Friday it has secured China's approval to export to the U.S. 10 million N-95 respirators manufactured by the company in China. (Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
This article has been adapted from its original source.
