Should US firms stop exporting masks due to coronavirus? It may backfire, experts say

With the U.S. facing a shortage of medical equipment needed in the fight against coronavirus, President Donald Trump called on American manufacturing giant 3M to cease exporting N95 protective masks to other countries.

But the company is resisting.

3M released a statement Fridaydefending its actions, arguing that if America stops exporting potentially life-saving goods to other countries, they may stop selling medical supplies to the U.S. in response -- causing an even greater shortage.

“That is the opposite of what we and the administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek,” the company said in a statement.

The Trump administration also specifically requested that 3M send no more respirators to Canada or Latin American countries, according to the statement.

Besides the risk of igniting a trade war over crucial supplies amid a global pandemic, 3M cited moral concerns.

“There are, however, significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators,” 3M said in its statement.

Trump signed a Defense Production Act order Thursday, granting him increased leverage over American manufacturers.

3M is one of several companies Trump is pressuring to increase manufacturing of needed items in short supply as novel coronavirus cases and deaths continue to climb, according to CNBC.

Other companies include General Motors, General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, ResMed, Royal Philips, and Vyaire Medical, CNBC reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke up Friday as well, saying it would be a “mistake” for the U.S. to hold out on its neighbors at a time like this, Politico reported, emphasizing that trade is a two-way street.

“These are things that Americans rely on and it would be a mistake to create blockages or reduce the amount of back-and-forth trade of essential goods and services, including medical goods, across our border,” according to the outlet.

Tightening export restrictions can backfire for all countries involved, deepening shortages, or causing prices on goods to skyrocket, a recent Swiss study found.

Such measures have “evident consequences for treating infected people abroad and for front-line health professionals, denying them access to critical medical supplies,” the study said.