TORONTO — Manufacturing giant 3M said Monday it has an agreement with the Trump administration that will allow the company to continue to export N95 protective masks to Canada and Latin America amid the coronavirus pandemic. The company said the U.S. government and 3M have a plan to produce 166.5 million masks over the next three months to support healthcare workers in the United States. President Donald Trump had used his authority under the 1950 Defense Production Act to stop exporting such masks, also known as respirators. The move to block such masks, which are crucial in protecting healthcare workers on both sides of the border from the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, outraged many officials in Canada. "The plan will also enable 3M to continue sending U.S. produced respirators to Canada and Latin America, where 3M is the primary source of supply."

Source: International New York Times April 06, 2020 23:48 UTC