United States: 4 million latex gloves from Malaysian giant Top Glove seized by customs
Top Glove, the Malaysian latex glove giant, is in the crosshairs of the United States.
Mohd RASFAN AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Four million rubber gloves were seized by US customs.
They come from the Malaysian company Top Glove, the number 1 in the sector.
But the latex glove giant is in the crosshairs of the United States: due to accusations of forced labor, its products have been banned in America since May.
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With our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur,
Gabrielle Maréchaux
Top Gove is a company that has made headlines in Malaysia many times since the coronavirus crisis.
First for its colossal profits in the midst of a health crisis: last September Top Glove announced that it had multiplied its net quarterly profits by 18, compared to the previous year.
But quickly, the country discovers that the insolent success of the giant which exports to 195 countries in these times of economic slump comes at the cost of the health of its workers.
The promiscuity of its warehouses and dormitories does not allow social distancing, and they quickly turn into hotbeds of contamination.
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Read also: Forced labor: Top Glove, the main manufacturer of medical gloves banned in the United States
19 investigations launched
In the process, Malaysia also learns that a Nepalese employee was fired for trying to raise the alert on non-compliance with health rules.
In March, the Malaysian authorities therefore began to crack down.
After launching 19 investigations, the giant is indicted for failing to provide decent housing to its workers, almost all foreigners.
And a few days later, the United States claimed to have gathered enough evidence to ban the products of Top Glove, which was suspected of forced labor.
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See also: Malaysia: the rubber glove industry affected by the coronavirus
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