CBP's Top Glove Forced Labor Finding Limited to Gloves Originating in Malaysia
CBP's recent finding on Top Glove's use of forced labor in the production of disposable gloves (see 2103260028) “applies only to disposable gloves originating in Top Glove factories in Malaysia,” a CBP spokesperson said in an April 12 email. That confirms recently reported remarks from Top Glove Executive Chairman Tan Sri Lim Wee Chai. The company has 43 factories in Malaysia, five in Thailand, one in Vietnam and one in China, according to the report.
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The report also mentioned some instructions from CBP about resolving the forced labor issues. “Top Glove submitted a petition to CBP for modification of the July 15, 2020 Withhold Release Order on disposable gloves that Top Glove produces in Malaysia,” the spokesperson said when asked about the instructions. “CBP maintains dialogue with Top Glove and is treating Top Glove’s petition as a petition to modify the March 29, 2021 forced labor finding. The length of the review process for such petitions varies with the individual facts and circumstances of each case. CBP will not modify or revoke a finding until it has information that all indicators of forced labor identified by the agency have been fully remediated and it is demonstrated that forced labor is no longer being used to produce the goods targeted by the finding.”