Malaysia’s medical glove problem — Medically Necessary

How COVID-19 is challenging production

The demand for medical gloves soared during the COVID-19 pandemic and those issues persist. Now, a nationwide lockdown in Malaysia, which produces most of the world’s gloves, is slowing production, and this lockdown could last for weeks. 

Matt Blois talks to Mirko Woitzik and Neza Kricaj, analysts with Eversteam Analytics, about the research their team is doing on supply chain and the impacts of Malaysian shutdowns on the rest of the world. 

Adding to shortages caused by disease, a Customs and Border Protection investigation also determined that one of the largest glove manufacturers was using forced labor and stopped allowing most imports to the U.S.

Blois and his guests explore why Malaysia is so crucial to the glove production landscape and what some workarounds might be to get the supply up to meet demand. 

You can find more Medically Necessary episodes and recaps for all our live podcasts here.

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Fraud & Security

Freight Fraud Symposium

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

May 20, 2026
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH
Register Now
AI & Technology

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail & Policy

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Fraud & Security Freight Fraud Symposium May 20 • Cleveland, OH

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH Register Now
AI & Technology Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail & Policy Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • Chattanooga, TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Kaylee Nix

Kaylee Nix is a meteorologist and reporter for FreightWaves. She joined the company in November of 2020 after spending two years as a broadcast meteorologist for a local television channel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kaylee graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and immediately made the Tennessee Valley her home. Kaylee creates written summaries of FreightWaves live podcasts and cultivates the social media for FreightWaves TV.