KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s rubber glove sector achieved RM6 billion in export value during the first five months of 2025.
Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani stated that this performance demonstrates the industry’s resilience against challenges from United States tariffs on rubber glove products.
He highlighted that Malaysian goods exported to the US face a 19% tariff, matching Thailand’s rate but significantly lower than China’s 55% tariff.
“This situation provides Malaysia with a slight competitive advantage over these two main rival countries,“ he said during the winding-up debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat.
Johari was responding to Nurul Amin Hamid regarding challenges facing the rubber industry following US tariff impositions on rubber gloves.
The minister explained that Malaysia maintains competitive advantages through a comprehensive production ecosystem, economies of scale, consistent high quality, and diverse markets for both natural and synthetic rubber gloves.
Several strategic projects have been proposed under the 13th Malaysia Plan to further strengthen the rubber industry.
These include the Malaysia Sustainable Natural Rubber initiative, development of a geospatial system for smart agriculture, and creation of an Integrated Digital System for Rubber Technology Development and Transfer.
Other proposals encompass developing a Digital Breeding Data System and Rubber Clone Verification Platform, eco-friendly latex stabiliser technology, and facilities for designing smart rubber compounds to support small and medium enterprises.
“The total funding requested for implementing these projects amounts to RM114.8 million,“ Johari said.
The Plantation and Commodities Ministry is finalising improvements to the Rubber Production Incentive, which will be implemented based on productivity.
“Under this new policy, smallholders who work diligently and achieve target productivity levels will receive financial rewards, while those who do not fully cultivate their holdings will not be eligible for any incentives,“ he added. – Bernama