3M’s CEO Scoffs at ‘Absurd’ Mask Claims Amid Trump Pressure
- Manufacturer says supply cutoff raises humanitarian concerns
- President tweeted the company will have a ‘big price to pay’
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3M Co. pushed back against a request from the Trump administration to halt exports of protective face masks, saying the move would cut off critical supplies for neighboring countries and raise “significant” humanitarian concerns.
The manufacturer said Friday that it was asked by the White House to stop sending U.S.-made respirators elsewhere in North America in favor of boosting domestic supplies. 3M currently produces 35 million masks a month from a pair of U.S. factories, which serve customers across the region.