ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M issued the following statement in response to inaccurate media reports alleging a shipment of 3M personal protective equipment (PPE) was seized and diverted by U.S. authorities on Friday, April 3, while in transit from a 3M China facility to Berlin Police:

“ 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.”

3M has extended an offer of help to the German authorities to try to determine if this false report is the result of fraudulent activity. We have extended this offer to all countries seeking to verify the authenticity of offers to sell respirators. 3M is committed to combating any illegal activity in connection with our products and the COVID-19 outbreak and is working with law enforcement to identify and punish perpetrators.

3M will continue to correct misinformation about our efforts to manufacture and distribute these products globally.

3M will continue to maximize the amount of respirators we can produce for heroic healthcare workers in the U.S. and worldwide, as we have done so since January when this global crisis began.

About 3M

At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $32 billion in sales, our 96,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.