Malaysia is expected to generate RM23.6 billion in glove exports this year even though the days of the Covid-19 pandemic are seen to be almost over.
The projection was set by the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) which saw a sharp increase from RM17 billion in 2019 which was before the pandemic.
Also supportive, the Minister of Plantation Industry and Commodities, Zuraida Kamaruddin described the projection as 'conservative' based on a 10% to 12% increase in demand for gloves.
According to him, Margma has great potential as it has identified new export markets that will increase demand in addition to changing global hygiene trends towards the need for rubber gloves.
In the meantime, the President of Margma, Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam, outlined the challenges faced by industry players in coping with changing global dynamics, including the prolonged Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Even so, he is still optimistic that the industry will see a 10% to 20% increase in demand due to global healthcare awareness and regulatory requirements being considered.
He projected that by 2023 demand may increase between 12% and 15% while the target global demand for gloves in 2022 is estimated at 399 billion, with Malaysia producing 240 billion of it.
Don't forget that even though the Covid-19 pandemic is over, there is still a new outbreak, namely monkeypox, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared as a global emergency.
So it is not surprising if the demand for rubber gloves still has the potential to grow in the coming years.
