CBP issued a withhold release order on two subsidiaries of Top Glove last July after stating that it had reasonable, but not conclusive, information to indicate that it produced goods with forced labour – thus preventing them from entering the US.
In March, CBP directed personnel at all US ports of entry to seize disposable gloves produced by the company after receiving “sufficient information” that it used forced labour in the production of disposable gloves in Malaysia triggered a forced labour finding.
In a statement today, Top Glove said it “continues to work closely with the US CBP towards the expeditious resolution and revocation/modification of the withhold release order/finding.”
“The CBP is currently reviewing our submission on the back of the company having remediated the 11 International Labour Organization (ILO) forced labour indicators.”
It added this has been verified by Impactt, an independent consultant based in the UK which Top Glove hired to monitor its efforts to eradicate forced labour.
Yesterday, CBP’s personnel in Cleveland, US, seized a shipment of 3.97 million nitrile disposable gloves after information indicated they were made with forced labour. The estimated value of the shipment was US$518,000 (RM2.1 million).
CBP said the shipment was seized after an inspection by its officers revealed that the gloves were produced in Malaysia by a subsidiary of Top Glove.
“This seizure sends a strong message that CBP will not tolerate imports made with forced labour, which is a form of modern slavery that hurts vulnerable workers and threatens our economy,” said Diann Rodriguez, area port director for Cleveland, in a statement.
“CBP continues to facilitate the importation of legitimate personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for the Covid-19 pandemic while ensuring that the PPE is authorised and safe for use.”
The high demand for rubber gloves during the Covid-19 pandemic has seen Top Glove report record earnings for three consecutive quarters, with the company’s profits soaring to RM2.87 billion in the quarter from December 2020 to February 2021 – far exceeding the RM115.7 million it reaped in the same period a year ago.