PETALING JAYA: Leading glove maker Top Glove Corporation announced today that it has been allowed to resume exporting and selling gloves to the United States, a year after an import ban over alleged labour abuses.

US authorities had banned disposable gloves made by Top Glove, the world’s largest medical glove maker, since July 2020, saying in March it had sufficient information to determine labour abuses at the company.

Top Glove said in a securities filing today that US Customs had affirmed that its disposable gloves would be admissible at all US ports of entry as of Sept 10.

The company said in April it had resolved all indicators of forced labour in its operations, citing a report by independent consultant Impactt Limited.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency had issued an import restriction on two subsidiaries of Top Glove in July 2020 after stating that it had reasonable, but not conclusive information, to indicate that it produced goods with forced labour.

However, in March this year, CBP said it had found “conclusive evidence” that certain products by Top Glove Corp Bhd had been manufactured with the use of convict, forced or indentured labour. Products from all subsidiaries were banned.

The glove maker previously said it was working with CBP to remove the detention order on its subsidiaries, Top Glove Sdn Bhd and TG Medical Sdn Bhd, following the allegations of forced labour.

Top Glove has 60 companies within its group and exports to more than 195 countries.