The Trump Administration is taking 3M to task for not providing more N-95 respirator masks to the American market.
American-based 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) is a global supplier of N-95 masks. President Trump signed a Defense Production Act order the other day aimed at 3M prioritizing the U.S. market for its respirator masks during the global Covid-19 pandemic.
At first glance, it sounds like the logical thing to do.
But, 3M said, “Wait a minute! The pandemic is global, every country needs these masks right now, and, if we go this route (i.e. prioritizing the U.S.), we can expect retaliation.”
They have a point. The U.S. population is 330 million, while the world population includes another 5 billion people, all potential 3M customers. Covid-19 knows no boundaries.
Most of the latex surgical gloves, hospital gowns, surgical masks, and other medical Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) currently in high demand in America are produced…in Asia. If producing countries start playing favorites in the global crisis, if they start allowing politics to trump standard business practices and humanitarian motivations, things could get ugly.
Today, the pandemic hot spot is America, so the need for N-95 masks here is high. However, Spain and Italy are also taking an ass-pounding and, in a few weeks, the need could be most severe in India and South Africa, where the pandemic is starting to spike.
If the United States hoards the supply of N-95 masks, it could leave a permanent stain on international relations, at a time when China is sending doctors and Chinese-produced PPE to countries all around the world in a political gesture of good will.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed”, as the saying goes.
The Trump Administration’s “America First” announcement to other nations, in a nutshell, is thus: “Provide us all the medical supply items that we need ASAP, but we’re going not going to reciprocate because we don’t have to.”
If the Stable Genius doesn’t think this through, America’s role as the world’s dominant super-power could be permanently diminished by his selfishness in this once-in-a-generation global crisis.
Who said leadership is easy?
(Well, actually, it was narcissist/candidate Donald Trump in 2016: “I alone can fix this.”)