Trump says US has a deal with 3M on masks for coronavirus fight
The US has been relying on emergency air shipments of masks from China and other countries to help meet demand.
President Donald Trump said his administration reached a deal with manufacturer 3M Co. to produce about 55.5 million masks a month for U.S. health-care workers and others fighting coronavirus.
“So the 3M saga ends very happily,” Trump said at a White House news conference on Monday.
Trump has said he invoked the Defense Production Act to ban the export of supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic – triggering a fight with 3M and allies including Canada. He’s used the act and his public pulpit to excoriate companies he sees as not fully cooperating with the government’s efforts to fight the virus.
3M didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment.
The company initially pushed back against a request from the administration to halt exports of protective face masks, saying the move would cut off critical supplies for neighboring countries and raise “significant” humanitarian concerns.