In the case of 3M Trump may have done more than the DPA allows him, however. While 3M has acknowledged that it's doing everything possible to manufacture more masks, its factories have reached peak capacity already in January, due to massive demand from Asia. While 3M is working to expand production lines, doubling their capacity will only be possible in a 12-month perspective. The company, like everyone else, was simply not prepared for this unprecedented surge in demand.
Now 3M is focused on providing more masks to American customers, though they are also bound by orders made earlier from other countries. “Yesterday, the Administration formally invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to require 3M to prioritize orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for our N95 respirators. […] We have been working closely with the Administration to do exactly that, and we appreciate the authorities in the DPA that provide a framework for us to expand even further the work we are doing in response to the global pandemic crisis. We look forward to working with FEMA to implement yesterday’s order.” 3M wrote on Friday, in a statement responding to Donald Trump's tweet.
To prove that 3M is doing its part, the company used the opportunity to announce that the Chinese government has approved export of 10 million N95 masks to the US. But to President Trump this isn't enough. He ordered the company to cease all exports from the US to Canada and Latin America and reportedly also asked for shipments from 3M's Singapore hub to be shifted entirely to the US, leaving other countries empty-handed.
