Magnus Nicolin, the head of protective suits and glove manufacturer Ansell, says Beijing needs to crack down on Chinese companies that have substantially lifted the prices of face masks during the COVID-19 crisis.

"There's been an enormous price escalation. Some of the Chinese companies who are claiming to be doing so much good for mankind have taken prices up two, three, four, or even 10 times what it was before. So it leaves a little bit of an ugly taste," he told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

At the same time, he said the ASX-listed personal protective equipment (PPE) maker had "not changed our pricing one bit".

Ansell CEO Magnus Nicolin says governments must consider global needs when defining their essential industries and facilitate, not hinder the movement of personal protective equipment. Credit:Peter Rae

Asked if Chinese authorities needed to crack down on the price hikes, Mr Nicolin said "I think they need to". While it was up to all parties to crack down on price hikes, China had "a big role to play here", he said.