KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – The tariff hike imposed by the United States (US) on Chinese medical gloves offers the local glove industry an opportunity to recapture its US market share, according to the Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK).
Deputy Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said Malaysian gloves currently hold a 44 per cent share of the US market compared with an average of 55 per cent in the 2020-2023 period.
“The ministry views the situation positively. The US tariff hike on Chinese medical gloves will lead to these gloves becoming more expensive in the US market, thus making gloves from Malaysia more competitive,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
This was in response to a query by Kamal bin Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) on the government’s plan in view of the structural change in the global nitrile glove demand, taking into account the US hike in tariff on Chinese medical and surgical gloves to 50 per cent in 2025 and 100 per cent in 2026.
Chan said the ministry will continue to focus on efforts to expand rubber glove exports to new markets such as South America, the Middle East and Africa amid trade issues arising from geopolitical competition that cannot be controlled and are difficult to predict.
He said the government, through the Malaysian Rubber Council, will enhance efforts to promote local rubber gloves through participation in major US trade exhibitions such as the Florida International Medical Expo and International Restaurant & Food Service Show di New York.
