US seizes RM2.1mil Top Glove shipment | Free Malaysia Today - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized a shipment of 3.97 million nitrile disposable gloves from Top Glove Corp estimated to be worth US$518,000 (about RM2.1 million) on indications they were made by forced labour, it said yesterday.

CBP had, on March 29, issued a forced labour finding based on evidence of multiple forced labour indicators in the world’s largest medical glove maker’s production process.

It had initially banned products from two of Top Glove’s subsidiaries last July, but extended the ban to all of the manufacturer’s products made in Malaysia in March.

The indicators included debt bondage, excessive overtime, abusive working and living conditions, and retention of identity documents, CBP said in a statement.

The agency then directed personnel at all US ports of entry to begin seizing disposable gloves produced in Malaysia by the glove maker.

“CBP continues to facilitate the importation of legitimate PPE needed for the Covid-19 pandemic while ensuring that the PPE is authorised and safe for use,” said Diann Rodriguez, area port director for Cleveland, referring to personal protective equipment.

Top Glove said last month its glove production has been affected because of the US ban, and announced last week it had resolved all indicators of forced labour in its operations, citing a report by the ethical trade consultancy it hired.