Following the outbreak of coronavirus in China and reporting of a few cases in Pakistan, the demand for hand sanitisers has increased dramatically, which is feared to spark price hike as the supply of raw material for the product stops from China.
Pakistan’s demand for around 1,200 tons of sanitisers per year has now soared to 3,000 tons,” said Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)’s former president Aamir Abdullah Zaki while talking to media.
Normally, the sector recorded a growth of 10-15% but this time it is more than 200% due to which stocks of liquid hand soaps are vanishing fast,” said Zaki, who is also the director at Silk Beauty Products, which makes sanitising fluid.
Pakistan imports raw material for the cleanser from China and also the product itself, however, imports from the neighbour have been suspended as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus, according to Zaki.
Furthermore, China’s demand has also surged, which is why it is focusing more on meeting its own requirement instead of focusing on exports.
People of Pakistan, which had a population of 210 million, did not have the habit of washing hands in normal days. “Perhaps, that’s why the current demand is appearing huge.
Due to the shortage of stocks, the prices may increase around 200%, as that happened with surgical masks – their prices have skyrocketed from Rs200 to Rs1,000 per pack.
