Supply Chain Research

Imports of masks to the U.S. have settled from pandemic highs, down 86.6% year over year in July and August combined, while imports of gloves have seen more sustained growth, up 164.3% in the same two months. Imports are still relatively higher than 2019 levels, however, by 18.8% for masks and by 385.0% for gloves. This has led to calls for the reinstatement of tariffs on Chinese goods exempted for medical reasons during the pandemic. Importers of gloves have faced their own headwinds, with Top Glove being impacted by forced labor allegations over the summer, while glove-maker Supermax h...