What’s Next For the Disposable Mask Industry in 2020

The Freedonia Group recently finished an analysis of the global disposable mask market. Two of the many important questions answered in this report center on if there will be sufficient supply and if the pandemic will fundamentally change future mask demand.

Production of masks is skyrocketing. In normal years, masks are mostly manufactured by small to medium sized companies you’ve never heard of (with the notable exceptions of 3M and Honeywell, which operate in the critical N95 respirator market niche). In 2020, mask makers now include disparate firms such as GM, Boeing, Foxconn, Prada, Eddie Bauer, and Panasonic. However, their contributions are temporary, so the long-term availability of masks depends largely on China’s 9,000 or more mask companies ramping up production, supplemented by increased activity among other textile powerhouses in Asia. Requirements for 2020 will likely be met, especially if exacting production standards are not enforced.

Whether this extra supply will be satisfied with additional future sales or lead to product surplus and unused capacity will be determined by factors such as:

• how quickly virus cases level out and hospitalizations decrease
• when and how countries open up their economies and what mask requirements are in place both for businesses and consumers
• what medical stockpiling of these products looks like following economies reopening
• when a vaccine or drug treatment for COVID-19 becomes widely available
• the introduction and use of competitive products or processes including mask sterilization and reusable masks

For more information, see The Freedonia Group’s coverage of Global Disposable Masks & Respirators, Global Filters, Global Nonwovens. Additional targeted research is available from Freedonia Custom Research.