B.C.’s Health Minister is disappointed that U.S. President Donald Trump is blocking exports of N-95 face masks to Canada.

Adrian Dix says that move will not make sense for Americans and Canadians, as he says the two countries rely on each another.

“We should work together for a result that will benefit all of us,” he said.

“Part of the reason we have challenges in British Columbia is because there were challenges in Washington State. COVID-19 doesn’t know borders, and we want our American friends do well. We want their response to COVID-19 to be effective, and it needs to be effective. It’s important for us that it be effective.”

Dix says personal protective equipment is in high demand around the world because of COVID-19, and he thinks Canadians should support the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, as he works to convince the United States that their actions are wrong.

“We shouldn’t respond with retaliation, we should respond by by insisting that we work together because we are genuinely as a whole world in this together,” he added.

“We’ve got what we need to do in British Columbia, but what we need to do is convince our American friends in the first instance that this action is wrong. It’s wrong for them and wrong for us.”

Dix is hoping that the two countries can find a solution, and soon.

“This is part of the challenge in something of such essential supply of having one country of the world having significant control over the supply chain,” he noted.

“That said, I would note raw materials that are involved here also come from Canada. We live in a community that’s strongly linked together and we hope that Canada and the United States can find a solution to this.”

In a statement, 3M warned that restricting exports of masks could backfire on the U.S. and impact the supply of masks and other medical equipment in that country as well.