It said the amount was just an assumption of what was lost by industry players as a whole.

The Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (Margma) also said the reported losses were an overall loss of “a few affected companies” — not any single company.

In a parliamentary reply yesterday, the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) said Top Glove Corp Bhd lost about RM3.6 billion due to the withhold release order (WRO) by the US customs agency.

The numbers cited Margma data, according to the parliamentary report by Bernama.

“The sum of RM3.6 billion is an estimated loss in potential glove export revenue due to the WRO issue.

“It is not the actual financial loss of any single company,” the association said in a statement.

“The estimated loss in potential glove export revenue was a cumulative sum from a few affected companies, and based on various assumptions,” Margma said.

On July 15, 2020, the US Customs and Border Protection agency issued a WRO on Top Glove after allegations of forced labour practices in the production process, including employee debt bondage, excessive overtime, violation of environmental conditions, workplace and accommodation facilities, and detention of identification documents.

The order was lifted two months later after the agency was satisfied with remedial actions taken by Top Glove, the parliamentary reply reported by Bernama read.

Miti said it had engaged with the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur and members of Margma on the remedial actions so that their products would no longer be restricted in future.