PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s exports of rubber gloves in the first half of 2017 increased 25% to RM7.95bil compared to RM5.28bil in the same period last year, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said. Speaking at a meeting with leaders from the rubber industry, he said: “The high export growth in the first six months of 2017 signalled that the rubber glove sector is on track to record an outstanding new high in export sales of RM16bil for the full year of 2017. “This represents an increase of 20% compared to RM13.28bil recorded for the whole of 2016.” Rubber gloves have been the largest contributor to the Malaysian rubber products industry. The export sales of rubber gloves accounted for over 70% of the total exports of rubber products, amounting to RM11.4bil for the first six months of 2017.
Mah believes the local industry is on track to secure at least 65% share of global rubber glove exports by 2020. This is given that the industry is expanding its production capacity and improving manufacturing processes to meet growing demand for higher quality medical gloves in major emerging markets. The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities and the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council expects world demand for rubber gloves to increase from 211 billion pieces in 2016 to 287 billion pieces by 2020.
