US hygiene push could fuel a rubber glove boom half a world away

(Aug 30): More stringent hygiene in US hospitals and labs could boost sales for Malaysian rubber glovemakers who produce three out of every five pairs used in the world.

Demand for medical gloves is seen increasing ahead of guidelines from the US Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention that come into effect December 2019. Known as the USP 800, the best-practices standard for pharmacies and hospitals will recommend health workers don two pairs of gloves to handle hazardous drugs.

As the US accounts for a third of global demand for medical gloves, the new standards -- if widely enforced -- could push demand from that market well above its "normal" 8% to 12% annual growth rate, said Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) Vice President Supramaniam Shanmugam.

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