Trudeau seems to have gotten through to saner people around an insane   
   President.  Again.   
   _____________________________   
   CBC News · Posted: Apr 06, 2020   
      
      
   Ottawa reports progress in talks with U.S. over medical supplies as 3M strikes   
   deal to send masks to Canada   
      
   Freeland reports having 'positive conversations' with U.S. officials over the   
   weekend   
      
      
   Canadian officials working behind the scenes to secure a full exemption from   
   the Trump administration for imports of critical medical equipment say they've   
   made some progress as 3M announces that it has struck a deal with the U.S.   
   government to allow the    
   export of N95 respirator masks to Canada.   
      
   Canadian ministers and officials have been trying to reverse the United   
   States' decision to invoke the Defense Production Act to force Minnesota-based   
   3M to prioritize orders from the U.S. government for N95 respirators at the   
   expense of foreign orders,    
   including some from Canada.   
      
   Earlier today, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had reached an agreement   
   with the company and was now "very proud to be dealing with 3M."   
      
   A statement from the company said it has struck a deal to import 166.5 million   
   respirators into the U.S. over the next three months, primarily from its   
   manufacturing facility in China.   
      
   "The plan will also enable 3M to continue sending U.S. produced respirators to   
   Canada and Latin America, where 3M is the primary source of supply," the   
   statement said.   
      
   The company said it is ramping up production and within about a year will be   
   able to start producing two billion respirator masks a year. The first wave of   
   that production is expected to come online in the next three months.   
      
   It remains unclear how this deal will affect exports of other critically   
   needed personal protection equipment, such as gowns, gloves and ventilators.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)