A year-long ban on products imported from Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer YTY Industry Holdings Sdn Bhd was lifted by the United States on Thursday after the company resolved allegations of labor abuse.
In January of 2022, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) banned YTY products on the grounds that there was sufficient evidence of “forced labor” in YTY’s manufacturing facilities, including abusive living and working circumstances.
According to the CBP’s statement released on Thursday, the firm has reimbursed migrant employees for recruitment fees they paid and commissioned an independent social audit in an effort to address the forced labor signs.
Many Malaysian businesses, including some of the world’s largest exporters of palm oil and medical gloves, have been under heightened criticism for their treatment of foreign labor.
After the restriction was enacted last year, YTY stated that it has achieved “demonstrable progress” in its handling of foreign workers since the beginning of 2019 and that it was astonished by the prohibition.
