MARGMA: GLOVE EXPORTS TO HIT RM18.2B
Industry posts RM11.3b in trade from January to August
THE Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) estimates the country’s rubber glove exports to hit RM18.2 billion from last year’s RM17.74 billion, on the back of sustained global demand growth.
From January to August this year, the industry posted RM11.3 billion in glove exports.
This was 2.4 per cent lower than the RM11.58 billion for the eight months of last year, said Margma president Denis Low Jau Foo.
“Since September, however, the orders have been picking up. So, we estimate this year’s export to reach RM18.2 billion, lower than our initial estimate of RM19.88 billion,” said Low at a briefing, here.
Present were Margma chief executive officer Chan Wone Fu, its vice-president Dr S Supramaniam, Top Glove Corp Bhd managing director Datuk Lee Kim Meow and Hartalega Holdings Bhd executive director Kuan Mun Keng.
Established in 1989, Margma represents 90 per cent of local glove manufacturers. Malaysia is the world’s top supplier of rubber gloves.
Rubber gloves are mainly used in medical, food-handling and health wellness industries.
Among glove-making giants listed on Bursa Malaysia are Top Glove, Hartalega, Supermax Corp Bhd and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd. They are exporting medical gloves, a healthcare necessity, to over 190 countries.
Margma appeals to the government to facilitate more workers to monitor production lines and pack medical gloves to further boost productivity.