KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Top Glove Corporation Bhd continues to work closely with the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to resolve the Withhold Release Order (WRO) and Finding following the seizure of its shipment of 3.97 million nitrile disposable gloves, which were allegedly made by forced labour.
The container estimated to be worth US$518,00 (RM2.1 million) was seized at Cleveland Port, Ohio, US, on May 4.
“The company continues to work closely with the US CBP towards the expeditious resolution and revocation/modification of the WRO/Finding.
“The US CBP is currently reviewing our submission on the back of the company having remediated the 11 International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) forced labour indicators,” it said.
Top Glove said its resolution of the 11 ILO indicators of forced labour had earlier been verified by independent international United Kingdom consultant Impactt Ltd in its report dated April 22, 2021.
The world largest rubber glove maker has achieved all Green on the 11 ILO forced labour indicators that determined all issues were closed.
This includes abuse of vulnerability, retention of identity documents, restriction of movement, excessive overtime, as well as abusive working and living conditions, it said.
CBP, in a statement, said it would seize shipments subject to findings unless the importer can prove to the law agency’s satisfaction that the merchandise was not produced with forced labour.
It had on March 29 issued a forced labour finding based on evidence of multiple forced labour indicators in Top Glove’s production process, including debt bondage, excessive overtime, abusive working and living conditions, and retention of identity documents.
CBP had initially banned products from two of Top Glove’s subsidiaries last July but extended the ban to all of the manufacturer’s products made in Malaysia in March.
— Bernama
