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3M Says It Needed Chinese Approval To Sell Medical Masks In The US
 [Alpha News MN] 3M says it asked China for permission to sell more N95 masks in America after President Donald Trump scolded the company for exporting medical masks as American hospitals struggle to acquire them.Now, it appears that the president has made good on this promise as he “formally invoked the Defense Production Act,” according to a Friday press release from 3M. Trump’s order has the effect of forcing 3M to prioritize America’s needs amidst the COVID-19 epidemic. 3M says that to follow this order, it “secured approval from China to export to the U.S. 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by 3M in China,” according to the release. The Minnesota based company said it cannot simply sell the masks it makes in the US to American hospitals because those masks are destined for Latin America and Canada. 3M claims that the “significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America” prevent them from allowing American hospitals to purchase these domestically produced masks. Before this official action occurred, 3M failed to comply with other White House requests involving the availability of N95s, reports the Financial Times. Related: 3M: 2020-04-02 US Naval War College exercise Urban Outbreak 2019 3M: 2020-04-02 SA turns to China and Cuba to help curb spread of coronavirus 3M: 2020-04-02 Coronavirus: Top South African HIV scientist Gita Ramjee dies Related: Defense Production Act: 2020-03-27 Biden Wants a Temporary Government Takeover of the Financial Sector Defense Production Act: 2020-03-23 De Blasio: People Will Die Because Trump ‘Will Not Lift a Finger to Help’ Defense Production Act: 2020-03-22 American Manufacturers Step Up to Make Medical Equipment Posted by: mercutio 2020-04-03 |
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