N95 Masks Again

[Mark in Ottawa]

A big story in Canada but apparently not in the US is that Mr Trump ordered a number of companies to stop exporting medical supplies that were needed at home. He apparently picked on 3M's export of N95 masks to Canada and to South America. The Canadian government is outraged as at this time, 3M is the main supplier.

One big problem and perhaps an indication that Mr Trump has just tied his shoelaces together this time is that there is only one company that produces the special pulp used in the manufacture of N95 masks. That company is Harmac and its located in Canada. Oops!

Another indication that when this debacle is over, everybody around the world is going to have to take a hard look at the vulnerabilities of the supply chain for critical products such as medical supplies and military requirements. I understand for example that over 90% of antibiotics used in the USA comes from China. Incredible really

[togor]

3M is pushing back, appropriately.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/3m-pushes-back-after-trump-orders-it-to-stop-exporting-n95-masks/

Someone has to take the long view, see the bigger picture, understand that the strings of leverage run every which way, and that nobody is in a bluffing mood.

Added: Navarro has always been a useless crackpot, and fountain of bad advice. Is he holding an envelope over someone? I doubt he's that smart! Anyhow he's a guy that if you fire him things get better.

[rayg]

Does Canada have more virus cases then the US where they need them more then the US,,,,?

[togor]

Does Canada have more virus cases then the US where they need them more then the US,,,,?

If bad #s are the metric then let's scour the country and send everything to the northeast. Right?

Canada's need is legit, they had a contract with 3M, which the US government insists they break. Canada is a friend, and as Mark points out, a supplier for mask production. In a different thread you agreed, Ray, that getting short sighted with masks would be a mistake. Stay strong, don't give into temptation to support a bad decision by the administration!

[Mark in Ottawa]

Does Canada have more virus cases then the US where they need them more then the US,,,,?

With one tenth the population, we obviously don't have more virus cases than the US, but we do have a lot of cases and have a major shortage of protective equipment, so much so that the provincial government appealed to any business or school that had any such equipment to donate it to the hospitals. You must remember that Canada was not supposed to be obtaining all or even a significant portion of 3Ms production but rather just a small proportion. Of course, a small proportion of their production was presumably all that we needed

I would note that our Prime Minister made an unequivocal statement that there would be no retaliation; that we had to work together.

[S.A. Boggs]

A big story in Canada but apparently not in the US is that Mr Trump ordered a number of companies to stop exporting medical supplies that were needed at home. He apparently picked on 3M's export of N95 masks to Canada and to South America. The Canadian government is outraged as at this time, 3M is the main supplier.

One big problem and perhaps an indication that Mr Trump has just tied his shoelaces together this time is that there is only one company that produces the special pulp used in the manufacture of N95 masks. That company is Harmac and its located in Canada. Oops!

Another indication that when this debacle is over, everybody around the world is going to have to take a hard look at the vulnerabilities of the supply chain for critical products such as medical supplies and military requirements. I understand for example that over 90% of antibiotics used in the USA comes from China. Incredible really

For close to 50 years American leadership from both parties have been asleep at the wheel. Now we have a non politician who is slowly changing that and some people in power do not like this. Regarding your country IMHO both countries should be tied as close as possible covering each other's 6. If Canada needs it and we can supply it we should and vice versa.
Sam

[Roadkingtrax]

For close to 50 years American leadership from both parties have been asleep at the wheel. Now we have a non politician who is slowly changing that and some people in power do not like this. Regarding your country IMHO both countries should be tied as close as possible covering each other's 6. If Canada needs it and we can supply it we should and vice versa.
Sam

What a load of wood pulp.

[togor]

The administration plainly admitted that they used the DPA on 3M as retaliation for not towing the line. What manner of fool begins a long war by making enemies out of allies? A supremely incompetent, possibly panicked one. Nothing like a crisis to expose crappy decisions in record time.

[rayg]

Stay strong, don't give into temptation to support a bad decision by the administration!

Sorry...
When Trump did this it was because the US was in far more dire need for the masks as it was having many many more times the cases then Canada...Of course that's just logical thinking. address the most need first. ..I'm sure the delay in Canada getting masks will only be a few weeks the most. Mean while the cases in the US will multiply many times more then in Canada during that time.......Nothing against Canada at all as I love the Canadians and bet they would do the same if in the like situation as the US is doing, .You're only complaining because your favorite hated guy Trump did it. Forget that for a minute and just be an American first guy..

[togor]

Ray is "every country for itself" really the best way to fight the pandemic? I say no.

In some sense, PPE is no different than TP. Cooperate to give as many people a fair shot at an honest wipe. Otherwise the one guy has a 1yr supply and everyone else using shop rags. Except with PPE it's lives, not stinky hands, and a life is a life, and I won't say Canadian lives are worth less. Will you?

You posted about the Chinese lady shipping masks from the USA to China. At the time I thought you had a problem with the practice in general. What I now understand is that you're okay with it so long as you're benefitting.

In sports, what is the opposite of favoritism or cheating to the benefit of one team? Is it favoritism and cheating in the opposite direction? Or is it a clean game, with no favoritism or cheating, and calls that break both ways?

How you answer that says a lot about how you look at the situation and maybe life in general.

The cynic says everyone cheats, so they have to get theirs any way they can. But we can both think of plenty of cases in life where people don't cheat, and indeed if everyone truly did cheat, it's easy to see that life modern life would suck.

[rayg]

Togor Quote...... "Ray is "every country for itself" really the best way to fight the pandemic? nothing to do that is really the best I say no.

Ray..Well in this particular incident it is the best for the US..Has nothing to do with fighting the pandemic overall, just an isolated incident where masks were needed more. By the way it's an American company....Also just a reminder, the US is the biggest helper to other nations in the world..

Togor, also please explain what you mean by saying this.."You posted about the Chinese lady shipping masks from the USA to China. At the time I thought you had a problem with the practice in general.

Ray..I don't understand what you mean by, .."What I now understand is that you're okay with it so long as you're benefitting." Pleases explain what you mean by saying I'm benefitting?..

Togor ..And another one..."How you answer that says a lot about how you look at the situation and maybe life in general."

What the heck does that mean!..Please explain...

[Johnny P]

A tit for tat would not favor the Canadians.

[togor]

Ray, it's simple. Is this an international fight against a common enemy or a series of parallel fights against the virus with the individual nations jockeying for advantage against each other even as they fight the virus? How do you think it should be conducted? I say it's an international fight against a common enemy, and that "America first" in this case is short sighted. If you don't have an opinion of your own that you want to share, then don't criticize mine.

As people have pointed out, most of the world's pharma capability is in Asia. If a vaccine gets discovered, not in the USA, do we want to be last in line because of how we acted in the mask shortage? Oz discovered a H1N1 vaccine first in 2009, and started producing it first. And their government set export restrictions on it that did not sit too well with other nations.

What goes around, comes around.

Added: I wish I knew Trump's reddit handle, and whether he made any AITA posts. God those would be classic reading.

[rayg]

Togor round and round you go.. It's just simple, the US government ordered a US company that makes the masks to provide the masks to the the US first, then to other nations when the US has enough to share..All you are doing is throwing a bunch of should of's , could of's, and what if's, confusion. It's clear, like it or not that was the American first order..You don't have to like it but there is nothing you can do about it except to complain to ease your conscience and blame Trump again. Get over it, you're on weak footing with your complaint

[togor]

Sorry Ray, if the big guy is going to command the camera in daily press conferences, then he is inserting himself into the story and can expect to the object of comments. That's life and you have to learn to deal with it.

I'm criticizing policies and giving reasons why I don't like them. Again, if you want to take issue with my reasons, offer your own, please do. But stick to policies.

In this case with the masks you agreed with my reasoning until Trump played it the other way, then you switched your position and criticize me for not switching mine.

You're assuming there will be no negative fallout from this, that USA can play Trump's leverage game without it coming back to bite us later. I don't think the rewards of that play are worth the risk, especially when there are so many unknowns with Covid-19.

You can have the last word here but unlikely you'll convince me to change my mind.