China on Sunday promised it would not restrict exports of medical supplies hours after The New York Post reported that the Trump administration was weighing legal action against Beijing for allegedly doing just that, reports the South China Morning Post.

“We will not forget that at the beginning of the fight against the epidemic, many countries gave us a helping hand,” Jiang Fan, from the department of foreign trade at the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference on Sunday.

“Therefore, when the situation in China is getting better and overseas epidemic conditions are accelerating, we are willing to make relevant efforts on the basis of epidemic prevention and control to provide support and assistance … China does not and will not restrict the export of medical supplies,” Jiang said.

The Post, citing a senior White House official, said executives from 3M and Honeywell told U.S. officials that China in January started impeding exports of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, booties, gloves and other supplies, made in factories there.

The news outlet also said Beijing imported 2.46 billion pieces of “epidemic prevention and control materials,” including more than 2 billion masks, from the European Union, Australia, Brazil and Cambodia between Jan. 24 and Feb. 29.

“Data from China’s own customs agency points to an attempt to corner the world market in PPE like gloves, goggles, and masks through massive increased purchases – even as China, the world’s largest PPE manufacturer, was restricting exports,” the official said.

The SCMP said China exported a total of $1.4 billion worth of medical supplies between March and April 4.

• China Accused of Hoarding PPE, White House May Take Legal Action
• China Holds Mourning Day for Coronavirus Victims