July 10, 2026- Despite an effort to bolster U.S. manufacturing of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, almost all nitrile medical gloves still come from abroad. Most medical gloves come from Malaysia, with the critical raw material supplied mainly by China, according to an article initially published by Bloomberg. Only about 1% of medical gloves in the U.S. are made domestically, in part because medical-grade nitrile butadiene rubber isn’t produced in the country.
The current administration is now rolling out a new plan to benefit the few U.S. companies that make nitrile gloves with imported nitrile butadiene rubber, according to Bloomberg. New procurement rules will ensure that federal agencies buy the gloves domestically, and the Department of Homeland Security has begun coordinating purchasing, with federal agencies being instructed to choose American-made products whenever possible. This approach could make that happen for medical gloves.
Nitrile gloves are vital for use in healthcare environments, protecting patients and practitioners from infection and contamination. The deficiency of medical gloves was highlighted when the Iran war sent petrochemical costs soaring, threatening the foreign medical glove industry and creating shortage risks, per Bloomberg.
As the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of American manufacturing materials used in the production of personal protective gear, the first Trump administration bolstered domestic glove-making capacity, and the government under President Joe Biden kept the effort going, financing six companies with $850 million.
However, rising construction costs and financial struggles persisting after the pandemic prevented manufacturing progress, and the funding left a trail of empty factories. It was also revealed that a pair of domestic gloves can cost twice as much as an import from a country with far lower labor and other costs.
Continue Reading (subscription required)