Karen McIntyre, Editor01.30.23
The years 2020 and 2021 saw an unprecedented rate of demand and investment in face masks and the materials that use them. But, by mid-2022, most schools had lifted their mask mandates and mask usage was no longer dictated in most public areas. While mask use continues—to some degree—on a discretionary basis and remains widespread in most medical facilities, demand has shrunk and the market remains overstocked.
“There will always be some market for industrial masks but nothing like demand during the pandemic,” says Serkan Gogus, commercial director, Mogul Nonwovens. “Before the pandemic a majority of medical and industrial masks were being produced in Asia, particularly China, and during the pandemic there has been significant capacities built in other parts of the world. But as demand has gone down most of these have either been idled, sold or closed so we have to see if some of these capacities will still continue in North America and Europe or if production will switch back to Asia.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Mogul, who was already active in meltblown nonwovens p
“There will always be some market for industrial masks but nothing like demand during the pandemic,” says Serkan Gogus, commercial director, Mogul Nonwovens. “Before the pandemic a majority of medical and industrial masks were being produced in Asia, particularly China, and during the pandemic there has been significant capacities built in other parts of the world. But as demand has gone down most of these have either been idled, sold or closed so we have to see if some of these capacities will still continue in North America and Europe or if production will switch back to Asia.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Mogul, who was already active in meltblown nonwovens p
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