Why Have Nitrile Glove Prices Increased Dramatically

Worldwide demand for nitrile disposable gloves continues to be 20-25% more than total available supply:

  • Medical usage has increased substantially with covid-19,and will continue to increase with the roll-out of vaccines.
  • Governments have increased stockpiling to avoid future supply issues.
  • Supply has reduced due to factory lockdowns and reduced labour force (social distancing in factories).
  • Pre-covid-19, factories typically worked on 3-5 month lead times to ensure full production – this is now 12-24 months at best, for any new non-scheduled orders.
     

Why cannot factories just produce more gloves?

  • To produce gloves cost effectively, the manufacturing process is quite involved, and requires substantial equipment including ceramic glove formers, dip tanks, conveyor lines, cooker ovens, and packing lines. 
  • Various companies are building new production lines and
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