Ansell raises glove prices to reflect soaring NR prices

Brussels - Ansell Healthcare has said the continuing rise in natural rubber latex has led it to increase its sales prices of surgical and exam gloves. This is necessary because latex is a key component of most medical gloves. It for example constitutes about half the cost of manufacturing a NRL (natural rubber latex) exam glove. Ansell has managed to avoid passing on price increases to the customer over the past years by implementing manufacturing efficiencies and fuel savings.

In a statement, Ansell said, "In order to offset these additional price increases, Ansell has decided to increase selling prices of NRL products. Since the beginning of 2005, latex prices have gone up by 120 %. Prices have increased by 35% in the past month alone. Increasing market demand, especially from China, and adverse weather in rubber-producing countries has pushed world natural rubber prices to an all-time high over the past few months. The costs involved in the production of latex and synthetic gloves are invariably linked to the price of oil and related freight transport costs, which have also been rising steadily in the past months. The soaring latex price is affecting the manufacturing cost of many rubber products, including protective gloves."

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Press release from Ansell