THE Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) is optimistic of achieving a 15 per cent export growth to RM12 billion this year, as global demand for the medical device remains strong.
“This year, rubber glove exports is expected to expand 15 per cent to RM12 billion, from last year’s RM10.5 billion. So far, in the first half of the year, we have shipped out about RM6 billion worth of gloves,” said Margma president Lim Kwee Shyan.
Two months ago, Safeskin Medical and Scientific, a Thailand-based unit of the United States firm Kimberly-Clark Corp, announced it will be closing its rubber glove plants
in Thailand.
Lim said Kimberly-Clark’s move will trigger outsourcing opportunities of some six billion pieces of medical gloves to big players like Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd, Supermax Corp
Bhd and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd.
Lim was speaking after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Plantation Industry and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas officiated at the opening ceremony of the 7th International Rubber Glove Conference and Exhibition 2014 held here, yesterday.
Also present at the media briefing were Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) chief executive officer Datuk Teo Suat Cheng, Margma vice-president Denis Low and Asean Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association chairman Lee Kim Meow.
The three-day conference, themed “Beyond Just Infection Control”, is organised by Margma and MREPC.
It showcased more than 105 companies from various glove-related and supporting industries.
All in, more than 650 trade vi-sitors from 25 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America flew in for business matchmaking opportunities.
Lim said healthcare equipment like medical gloves continue to see strong demand despite the current lacklustre global economic growth. Rubber gloves, be they natural or synthetic, are a necessity in the healthcare and food sectors.
“We expect medical glove demand to grow further from rising healthcare awareness in emerging markets, especially in China, India and Latin America.”
For almost 20 years, Malaysia is the world’s top supplier of rubber gloves. Last year, the country exported more than 110 billion pieces of rubber gloves to more than 190 countries. This makes up two-thirds of the global market for rubber gloves.
Since 2010, under the Economic Transformation Programme, the rubber industry has undergone structural change. Glove-making is now seen as high technology and knowledged-based.
“In the past, we needed about 15 workers to produce one million gloves but with increasing automation at our production lines, we can eventually reduce the headcount by two-thirds,” Lim said, adding that Margma members spend some RM1.6 billion per year on capacity upgrade.
Of this amount, about RM500 million goes towards factory automation.
In a move to support the industry’s upward shift along the value chain, both MREPC and Margma have joined hands to set up a RM5 million scholarship fund to attract and nurture future talents for the rubber industry.
