A message is posted on near empty shelves for canned goods in a supermarket in Washington, DC on March 20, 2020. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prevent hoarding and price increases of supplies amid the coronavirus outbreak, his press secretary said.
"We will not let those hoarding vital supplies & price gougers to harm the health of America in this hour of need,” White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a tweet Monday announcing the move.
The White House didn’t immediately release the text of the order, and Trump signed it behind closed doors.
Since the coronavirus outbreak escalated in the U.S., there have been runs on hand sanitizer, toilet paper, bleach wipes, meat and canned soup, among other products. People have attempted to sell cleaning products and other supplies at inflated prices on Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc. and other sites, leading to a crackdown by the retailers.
"Message to the hoarders: If you got any large quantities of material that this country needs right now, get them to market or get them to us,” White House trade adviser Peter Navarro warned on Sunday. "We’ll pay you a fair price. But if you don’t do that, we’re going to come for you.”
