Supply issues and high prices are not limited to healthcare equipment
Importing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or even inputs for the manufacture of these products, continues to be a war operation. And not just PPE aimed at the health sector. Six months after the start of the pandemic, which practically paralyzed the entire world, companies continue to have difficulties buying and transporting these safety items to Brazil.
Jacques Levy, president of the Brazilian Association of Distributors and Importers of Occupational Safety and Protection Equipment and Products (Abraseg), states that the initial problems—when shipments were confiscated by the United States or ordered to be returned even after the ship was already on the high seas— no longer occur. However, the difficulty in acquiring these products persists. And this is not limited to the healthcare sector. PPE in general is no longer available on the market, and delivery times have increased by 50%. “Before, after placing an order, it took about 120 days between cargo preparation, shipping, and customs clearance. Today, it’s not possible to receive a PPE order in less than 180 days,” estimates Levy. “Even for air transport between Brazil and the United States, the lead time is 30 days.”.
The reason, according to the executive, lies in the reduction of fleets and the safety protocols established in each country. “Due to the smaller number of ships and planes in circulation, freight rates have also risen sharply,” Levy guarantees.
But the problems do not stop there. Since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the president of Abraseg, the prices of PPE and supplies have practically doubled. “Since the demand for Personal Protective Equipment in the healthcare sector grew alarmingly due to Covid-19, it drove up prices, and all PPE—whether for civil construction, the oil sector, among others—has also become much more expensive and harder to find,” he concludes.
Raul Casanova, executive director of Abraseg, notes that the price of masks tripled at one point. “They used to cost a few cents and reached US$1.50 each.” Today, he says, the market is slowly beginning to stabilize, but prices remain high and delivery times are longer. “We have members who haven’t received anything since February,” he says.
An 8-bit R$ market
According to the 2019 Brazilian Personal Protective Equipment Market Indicators, prepared by Animaseg, the domestic PPE market generated nearly R$ 4.4 billion in 2018. Imports account for about 25% of that total.
During the period, safety apparel led domestic sales, with 28.8%. Next came safety footwear (21%), medical gloves (18.7%), safety gloves (13.6%), fall protection equipment (3.7%), respiratory protection (2.7%), face and eye protection (2.7%), safety helmets (1.9%), protective creams (1.5%), hearing protection (1%), and others (5.3%).
SOURCE:
CIPA & FIRE
