3M says no evidence that products have been seized
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3M says it will continue to maximise the amount of respirators produced for health care workers in the US and worldwide.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) - 3M said media reports alleging that a shipment of 3M personal protective equipment was seized and diverted by US authorities on April 3 are incorrect.
"3M has no evidence to suggest 3M products have been seized. 3M has no record of any order of respirators from China for the Berlin police. We cannot speculate where this report originated," the company said in a statement.
The manufacturer has extended an offer to German authorities to try to determine if the false report is the result of fraudulent activity.
3M says it will continue to maximise the amount of respirators produced for health care workers in the US and worldwide.
The interior minister of the Berlin city-state government, Andreas Geisel, blamed "the USA" last week for the confiscation of 200,000 masks ordered from a US producer when they were in transit through Bangkok.
He backed off his account on Saturday, saying on Twitter that the masks were ordered from a German company and why they didn't reach Germany was under review.
