The Financial Times reported on Oct. 21 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it had banned the import of products from Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer Supermax because the company was accused of forced labor. The company became the second Malaysian glove manufacturer to receive such a ban.
CBP reportedly said, "There is ample evidence that Supermax and its wholly owned subsidiaries produced gloves in violation of the U.S. Trade Act and will detain these gloves at all ports of entry." ”
A little over a month ago, CBP lifted its import ban on Malaysia's Top Glove. The company is the world's largest producer of rubber gloves and a competitor to Supermax.
Like Top Glove, Supermax was a major beneficiary of the COVID-19 pandemic, with full-year profit surging 627% to RM3.81 billion (US$920 million), according to Refinitiv' data, compared to a 326% increase in the previous year.