The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had banned YTY products in January 2022, citing reasonable evidence showing the use of “forced labour” in the company’s manufacturing operations, including abusive living and working conditions.

The CBP said today that YTY has taken various remedial steps and had reimbursed migrant workers for recruitment fees they paid, and had also commissioned an independent social audit.

“Accordingly, CBP determined that YTY Group’s disposable gloves are no longer being produced using forced labour,” the customs agency said in a statement.

Malaysian companies, including some of the world’s major suppliers of palm oil and medical gloves, have come under increased scrutiny over suspected abuse of foreign workers, a significant part of the country’s manufacturing workforce.

YTY officials were not immediately available for comment.