Sustained disruption to naphtha supply chains from the Iran war could lead to glove shortfall by late May, analysts say
Glove makers have already hiked the average price of synthetic rubber gloves by around 40 per cent to as high as US$29 for a box of 1,000, according to Oong Chun Sung, an equity research analyst at CIMB Securities.
Sustained disruption to supply chains from the conflict could lead to glove shortages by late May, analysts at Malaysia’s RHB and CIMB Securities said.
“In any procedure that we do in a hospital, we have to wear gloves,” said Dr Kuljit Singh, president of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia.
“If there is a shortage, this means there will be some difficulty to deliver some services in the healthcare sector,” he said. “We are a little cautious and are watching the situation,” but at present, “our suppliers are supplying the gloves as usual”.
Central to the problem is naphtha, a by-product of crude oil refining used to make plastics and other petrochemicals – the building blocks of everything from paint and polyester to kitchen containers and car parts.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
