Margma: US ban on Malaysian gloves limited to those made by one specific company

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) clarified that the ban on Malaysian rubber gloves by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is only limited to those produced by one specific company.

The CBP issued five withhold release orders covering five different products, imported from five different countries, including Malaysia.

CBP deemed a particular company to be involved in forced labour and has since banned that company’s goods from entering the US.

The association commented that the media reports on the banning of Malaysian rubber gloves by the US are factually inaccurate and misleading.

“Nonetheless, it is our hope that clarity will prevail upon the fact that it is just a company that is banned and not all Malaysian rubber gloves are banned,” said the association in a press statement today.

Margma said it would like to keep the public informed that its members have great concern about the welfare of their workers.

“The industry has since last year worked on social compliance initiatives in order to continuously improve the welfare of the employees in the rubber glove industry,” it added.

Margma said it has formed a social compliance committee and organised a national seminar under the purview of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council.

“There is a lot of compliance to be done and there is a lot of work to be carried out to ensure that workers’ rights, accommodation and general welfare are protected and, for these initiatives, time and expenditure are required and together we have drawn up a programme that will make our industry fully in compliance.”

In addition, the association said it has engaged and updated the US Embassy and the US Department of Labour during the visit on the efforts in implementing social compliance standards in the Malaysian rubber glove industry.

“Margma is taking social compliance very seriously to ensure that the shipments of gloves to the US and the world are in total compliance. As a matter of comfort, many American companies do carry out periodic audits on the manufacturers to ensure there is compliance,” it said.

source https://www.thesundaily.my/business/margma-us-ban-on-malaysian-gloves-limited-to-those-made-by-one-specific-company-FY1441513