{
  "id": 5259866,
  "title": "Hartalega expects rubber gloves price to trend higher due to rising feedstock costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/hartalega-expects-rubber-gloves-price-to-trend-higher-due-to-rising",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-03T05:40:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/09/1524869/hartalega-expects-rubber-gloves-price-trend-higher-due-rising"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hartalega Holdings Bhd, the leading glove manufacturer in Malaysia, predicts that the average selling price (ASP) of rubber gloves will continue to rise due to escalating feedstock and energy costs. CEO Kuan Mun Leong attributes this upward trend to increased demand and supply disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The ASP of gloves is influenced by several factors, including raw material costs, market demand, and competition. The correlation between butadiene, a primary feedstock for nitrile gloves, and oil prices is significant. Butadiene, which tracks oil prices closely, has surged from around US$60 per barrel in December 2025 to approximately US$120 per barrel in April 2026 and has even reached as high as US$2,000 in some markets this week. Kuan expects feedstock costs, particularly butadiene, to continue increasing, currently priced at around US$1,500 per ton. Despite the global glove demand expected to reach about 330 billion pieces in 2026, surpassing 219 billion pieces in 2019, the industry still contends with an oversupply situation. The previously estimated global capacity of 510 billion pieces no longer accurately represents the actual operating capacity. Some new manufacturers that announced capacity during the pandemic never started operations, while established players have shut down factories. Malaysian glove manufacturers maintain a price premium over competitors from Indonesia and Vietnam, supported by Malaysia's established track record. Malaysia's glove exports are projected at 120 billion pieces in 2026, compared to 18 billion pieces from Vietnam and Indonesia. The sustainability of this premium remains uncertain, especially with Chinese manufacturers expanding production capacity in Southeast Asia. The US market remains crucial for Malaysian glove manufacturers, partly due to high tariffs on Chinese goods, but reliance on the US market alone is not advisable. Key target markets include Europe, Japan, and the US, as 33% of the world's demand comes from Europe.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Hartalega Holdings Bhd expects the average selling prices (ASP) of rubber gloves to trend higher as global demand strengthens and rising feedstock and energy costs put upward pressure on prices.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}