The United States has lifted a ban on a Malaysian medical glove maker it had accused of using forced labor, a government statement showed, amid a surge in demand for personal protective equipment to fight the coronavirus crisis.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday said disposable rubber gloves made by WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd after March 16, 2020, will be admissible at all U.S. ports of entry.
The ban placed on WRP in September “was revoked based on recent information obtained by CBP showing the company is no longer producing the rubber gloves under forced labor conditions,” CBP said in the statement.
“We are very pleased that this effort successfully mitigated a significant supply chain risk and resulted in better working conditions and more compliant trade,” said Brenda Smith, CBP’s executive assistant commissioner for the office of trade.
WRP, which has the capacity to produce more than 11 billion gloves a year, could not immediately be contacted for comment.
Source: Reuters