US seizes Top Glove imports over forced labour evidence
The US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) has ordered port officials in the US to seize all disposable gloves made by Malaysia’s Top Glove that are imported into the country.
In a statement on March 29, the agency said a months-long investigation had found “sufficient information” that Top Glove was using forced labour to produce the gloves.
The agency said it would “not tolerate foreign companies’ exploitation of vulnerable workers to sell cheap, unethically-made goods to American consumers.”
It added that had found evidence that certain disposable gloves have been “produced or manufactured in Malaysia by Top Glove Corporation with the use of convict, forced or indentured labor.”
The evidence also revealed alleged instances of “debt bondage, excessive overtime, retention of identification documents and abusive working and living conditions,” CBP said.
Starting a dialogue
Top Glove has asked its counsels to start a dialogue with the US authority to resolve the issue. The company said it had previously “taken all the necessary measures required by CBP to ensure all concerns are addressed.”
Top Glove and its rivals in Malaysia have benefited enormously from demand for gloves during the coronavirus pandemic. Some 60 per cent of the world’s disposable glove supply comes from Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association. More than a third is exported to the US, which for months has led the world in coronavirus cases and deaths.
This extra demand for gloves has put a spotlight on how these Malaysian companies treat their workers, particularly foreign staff recruited from neighbouring countries.
A CBP official said steps have been taken to ensure any seizures will not have a significant impact on total US imports of disposable gloves.
The US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) has ordered port officials in the US to seize all disposable gloves made by Malaysia’s Top Glove that are imported into the country. In a statement on March 29, the agency said a months-long investigation had found "sufficient information" that Top Glove was using forced labour to produce the gloves. The agency said it would "not tolerate foreign companies' exploitation of vulnerable workers to sell cheap, unethically-made goods to American consumers." It added that had found evidence that certain disposable gloves have been "produced or manufactured in Malaysia by Top Glove Corporation...
The US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) has ordered port officials in the US to seize all disposable gloves made by Malaysia’s Top Glove that are imported into the country.
In a statement on March 29, the agency said a months-long investigation had found “sufficient information” that Top Glove was using forced labour to produce the gloves.
The agency said it would “not tolerate foreign companies’ exploitation of vulnerable workers to sell cheap, unethically-made goods to American consumers.”
It added that had found evidence that certain disposable gloves have been “produced or manufactured in Malaysia by Top Glove Corporation with the use of convict, forced or indentured labor.”
The evidence also revealed alleged instances of “debt bondage, excessive overtime, retention of identification documents and abusive working and living conditions,” CBP said.
Starting a dialogue
Top Glove has asked its counsels to start a dialogue with the US authority to resolve the issue. The company said it had previously “taken all the necessary measures required by CBP to ensure all concerns are addressed.”
Top Glove and its rivals in Malaysia have benefited enormously from demand for gloves during the coronavirus pandemic. Some 60 per cent of the world’s disposable glove supply comes from Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association. More than a third is exported to the US, which for months has led the world in coronavirus cases and deaths.
This extra demand for gloves has put a spotlight on how these Malaysian companies treat their workers, particularly foreign staff recruited from neighbouring countries.
A CBP official said steps have been taken to ensure any seizures will not have a significant impact on total US imports of disposable gloves.
