Coronavirus: Canada won’t retaliate for US mask export ban, says Trudeau
April 5, 2020, 8:44 am

Coronavirus: Canada won’t retaliate for US mask export ban, says Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he willtell President Donald Trump both countries are interlinked in ways that would hurt the nations if supply chains were cut. (File photo AFP)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that Canada won’t bring retaliatory or punitive measures against the United States after the Trump administration announced it would prevent the export of N95 protective masks. Canada

President Trump said he would prevent the export of N95 protective masks to ensure they are available in the US.

“We need the masks. We don’t want any other people getting it,” Trump said.

Trudeau said he will speak to Trump in the coming days. He said his officials are having constructive conversations with American officials.

The prime minister said he’ll tell Trump both countries are interlinked in ways that would hurt the nations if supply chains were cut.

“We are not looking at retaliatory measures or measures that are punitive,” Trudeau said.

“We know it is in both our countries interests to cooperate.”

The prime minister noted Canada ships gloves and testing kits to the US and said materials from the N95 masks originate in Canada. Canadian nurses also cross the bridge in Windsor to work in the Detroit medical system every day.

He noted health care workers rely on the masks in Canada.

Manufacturing giant 3M says there are significant humanitarian implications of ceasing N95 masks to health care workers in Canada and Latin America, where 3M is a critical supplier of respirators.

“We want them to help our country and I think it’s going to be OK,” Trump said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he couldn’t stress enough how disappointed he was in Trump for making the decision and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney didn’t hold back his outrage at Trump’s decision.

“It reminds me of what happened in 1939 and 1940 when Canada was part of the fight against global fascism — the United States sat out the first two or three years and initially refused to even provide supplies to Canada and the United Kingdom that was leading the fight at the time,” Kenney said.

Canada has more than 12,924 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 214 deaths. Twenty-two of those deaths are linked to one nursing home in Ontario. Canada has conducted more than 309,000 tests. levant

source: The Associated Press levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”