Malaysia’s share of US glove market increases to 56%

KUALA, LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) – Malaysia’s share of the glove market in the United States has risen to 56% this year, up from 46-47% in 2024, driven by high tariffs imposed by the US on China, reports The Sun. 

The tariff in general is helping Malaysian glove manufacturers as Malaysian exporters are at 90%, compared to 80% imposed on Chinese products, said Kuan Kam Hon, executive chairman of Hartalega, a leading glove manufacturer. 

“There are two tariffs here. One is the Section 304 tariff, the Chinese were impacted by this, gloves being exported to the US are subjected to 50% tariff under this rule. Then there is the reciprocal tariff. China will have a 30% tariff, whereas Malaysia is at 19% (total). So definitely this is helping us,” he said. 

Kuan said glove consumption is projected to reach 370 billion pieces in 2025, up from 357 billion recorded in 2024. “This would put demand close to the pandemic peak, when usage hit a record 380 billion pieces in 2021. What it means is that glove consumption is expected to continue to grow.”

However, Kuan said oversupply remains a drag as Chinese manufacturers relocate to Indonesia and Vietnam to bypass tariffs. “Because of the tariff, Chinese manufacturers who lost the US market have moved to Southeast Asia, mainly Indonesia and Vietnam, to rebuild capacity and export from there at the same 19–20% tariff as Malaysia,” Kuan said. 

“Once the capacity in Indonesia and Vietnam is ready, the playing field will be levelled. For the time being, they have lost significant market share in the US, but they will gain it back very quickly,” he added. 

Vietnam already has small-scale production, while Indonesia is expected to have significant capacity by year-end. “I am quite certain that by the end of the year, they will be exporting medical-grade gloves,” Kuan said.