CAMBRIDGE – CAPPEM, the Ontario-based Canadian Association of PPE Manufacturers, is demanding to know why Canadian ministers and other officials are being supplied with Chinese-made facemasks.
The question was recently put to the country’s House of Commons by MP Tony Baldinelli, echoing the concerns of CAPPEM.
“In light of the recent diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics by Canada and other nations, the question of Chinese and other foreign made PPE products getting preference in the House of Commons becomes even more relevant,” said CAPPEM president Barry Hunt. “The Canadian government promised support for Canadian PPE manufacturers who stepped up in the early months of the pandemic and invested millions of dollars to establish domestic manufacturing. Today Canada is self-sufficient for most PPE products with the vast majority of product materials being sourced here in Canada. CAPPEM and its members across Canada urge the Canadian government to immediately correct its procurement processes and purge from Canadian institutions all foreign made PPE that is often of inferior quality and may be manufactured in jurisdictions with poor labour and environmental records.
“It was clear in March 2020 and it is still 100 per cent relevant that Canada should maintain a robust domestic supply of high-quality PPE as global supply chains and markets continue to fluctuate and further waves of Covid affect countries around the globe. We understand the challenges and we are ready and able to work with the government to make the necessary changes that will ultimately keep our front line healthcare workers and all Canadians safer with access to high quality PPE.
CAPPEM represents Canadian manufacturers of PPE including masks, respirators, medical gowns, surgical gloves, disinfectants, and more. Canadian PPE producers invested over $100 million and hired over 1,000 people in response to the pandemic.
