The US is struggling with a shortage of (expensive) tampons

A huge deficit baby food Not yet solved in America, but American consumers now have a new problem. In many states, tampons were hard on them for several weeks. A series of supply chain issues left tampon shelves nearly empty.

Two weeks ago, the American magazine Time published an article about this shortage, which has been increasing in recent months. Procter & Gamble, a leading tampon maker in the United States, initially blamed the problem on ads starring comedian Amy Schumer. Due to those advertisements, the popularity of their brand Tampax increased significantly.

However, that doesn’t explain why other tampon brands outsold, Time wrote. It is now clear that Procter & Gamble, which produces half of all tampons sold in the US, is struggling with major supply chain problems.

The company recently informed shareholders that it is difficult to get materials to make tampons. Cotton, rayon (viscose) and plastic for packaging – all these raw materials must come from Asia and Europe. Shipping those raw materials is currently expensive and time-consuming due to shortage of sea containers and port staff. In America itself, there is also a huge shortage of truck drivers to supply stores.

Edgewell, another major tampon manufacturer in the US, has said in US media that there is a shortage of workers at a factory that makes ob tampons. Many workers are not immediately available: According to US law, tampons are a medical product, so only specially trained employees are allowed to work in the factory.

Drugstore chains CVS and Walgreens confirmed to The New York Times earlier this month that their stores are running out of tampons. The shortages are “temporary,” Procter & Gamble told the newspaper, but there’s no telling how long women will be standing in front of nearly empty shelves. Some media outlets are reporting that consumers are now hoarding tampons.

Because of shortages and higher prices for raw materials, tampons are now about 10 percent more expensive in the U.S. than they were a year ago, according to market researcher NielsenIQ. US Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan A letter Manufacturers have been called upon not to extort money from tumblers and to resolve the shortage as soon as possible.

In the Netherlands, this issue does not seem to be an issue at the moment. Ahold has no shortage of tampons. “Not at Ethos, nor at Albert Heijin,” says a spokesperson.

Grootewat tells NOS that stores are well-stocked, “and we see no signs of a shortage of tampons. Not even in Belgium,” the spokesperson said.