31 March 2021

The United States will seize products made by Malaysia's Top Glove after concluding the firm uses forced labour, officials said, dealing a fresh blow to the world's biggest surgical glove maker.

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US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had already banned gloves from two of Top Glove's subsidiaries last year after saying it suspected the company was committing labour abuses.

It went a step further on Monday, announcing it had "sufficient information" to conclude that Top Glove uses forced labour. The federal agency said it would seize any gloves manufactured by the firm at US ports of entry.

"CBP will not tolerate foreign companies' exploitation of vulnerable workers to sell cheap, unethically made goods to American consumers," said Troy Miller, a CBP senior official.

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The company said Tuesday it was seeking to resolve the matter with US authorities.

"Top Glove understands the concerns of all our stakeholders, including CBP, to ensure that forced labour is not present in the manufacturing of gloves and personal protective equipment," it said in a statement.

"This is the Company's shared top priority, and it seeks to resolve any ongoing areas of concern immediately."

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