Trudeau Says Canada Working to Produce 30,000 Ventilators

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada is working to produce up to 30,000 ventilators in the country, rather than depend on international supplies.

The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump told American based 3M to stop selling medical supplies to Canada.

A deal was later reached between 3M and the White House.

Trudeau said, "we're working with Thornhill Medical, CAE, Ventilators for Canadians, and a group led by StarFish Medical to produce up to 30,000 made-in-Canada ventilators."

On April 3, 3M was asked by the U.S. government to stop exporting U.S.-made N95 respirator masks to Canada and to Latin American countries.

CEO Mike Roman, in a statement released to the public, expressed both humanitarian concerns and concerns other countries would retaliate by withholding other necessary supplies or medications to fight COVID-19.

After President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to acquire the respirators, 3M agreed to import 166.5 million respirators over the next three months, mostly from its factory in China.

The company issued a statement saying this arrangement with the Trump administration would allow them to continue sending the U.S.-made respirators to Canada and Latin America.