Mask boom takes fabric away from nappy makers

In high demand: A file photo showing workers making face masks at a factory in Shenyang in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. — AFP

Beijing: China’s ramp-up of mask production to counter the coronavirus outbreak has claimed unlikely victims – nappies, wet wipes and sanitary towels that are made with the same raw materials.

Manufacturers say textiles such as nonwoven fabric have been in short supply from being diverted to the more lucrative mask business, leaving producers of hygiene products high and dry.