PUTRAJAYA: Companies that export rubber gloves must ensure that the entire manufacturing process of their products takes place within the country in order to qualify for the certificate of origin issued by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Only products that are fully processed and produced domestically are permitted for export in line with Malaysia’s commitment to international trade partners such as the United States, he said.
“We will not allow rubber gloves that are produced abroad to be brought into Malaysia merely for changing containers and the original documents before being re-exported. That does not involve local manufacturing and cannot be accepted,” he told the media after officiating the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) Silver Jubilee Gala Night here today.
Also present were MPOB chairman Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha and MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir.
According to Johari, Malaysia currently produces around 348,000 metric tonnes of rubber annually, far lower than the industry’s requirement of over one million metric tonnes. Therefore, raw materials such as latex from Thailand are still allowed to be imported, as they are fully processed domestically before becoming end products.
“What’s important is that the processing occurs here. We do not want Malaysia to become a hub for trade diversion involving finished products from other countries. This is to protect the reputation and sustainability of the local rubber industry,” he said.
Last week, the Plantation and Commodities Ministry announced that only rubber glove exporters licensed by the Malaysian Rubber Board are allowed to export products sourced from local manufacturers effective immediately.
It said the move was taken to safeguard product quality and to prevent Malaysia from being used as an export route for finished products from other countries.