The Section 301 tariff on China-origin medical gloves stepped to 100 percent on January 1, 2026. That one line in the tariff schedule reset the nitrile market for every hospital, clinic, school district and facility buyer in the country, including buyers who never purchased a Chinese glove. Here is what moved, what it costs today, and what to lock in before the next increase.
What the tariff schedule says
The U.S. Trade Representative finalized the Section 301 four-year review in September 2024. For medical products from China the schedule, as summarized by Wiley Rein, is:
| Product | Rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and surgical gloves | 50 percent in 2025, then 100 percent | January 1, 2026 |
| Textile face masks and respirators | 25 percent, rising to 50 percent | September 27, 2024, then 2026 |
| Syringes and needles | 100 percent | September 27, 2024 |
A 100 percent duty doubles the customs value of a China-origin case before freight and margin are added. Under a Section 301 action the country of origin decides the rate, so the first question on every glove quote is now where the glove was made.
How the other origins moved
Buyers did what tariffs push them to do and shifted orders to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Those plants were already running near capacity. GloveSaver reported that Malaysian and Thai manufacturers raised prices roughly 15 to 25 percent as the demand arrived. CenterPoint Group's August 31, 2026 analysis puts full-year 2026 nitrile glove cost inflation at 31.1 percent, driven by NBR latex input costs that doubled early in the year and by Asia to U.S. West Coast ocean freight near $7,600 per forty-foot container in late August.
The net result: a Malaysia-origin glove costs more than it did in 2025, and it still lands well below a China-origin glove carrying the 100 percent duty.
The next risk is not China-specific
Section 301 applies to one country. The Commerce Department's Section 232 investigation into imported PPE, medical consumables and medical equipment opened in September 2025 and passed its 270-day statutory window in mid 2026 without a public determination. A Section 232 action applies by product category regardless of origin, which would reach Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese gloves as well. Nothing has been announced. It is the item to watch, and it is the reason a USA-made glove belongs on the approved list even when it is not the lowest quote.
What to lock
- Country of origin on every quote line. A quote that does not state origin cannot be compared with one that does.
- A fixed-term price on your top glove SKUs. Spot buys price at today's freight and today's input costs. A 90 to 180 day agreement with a stated origin holds the number.
- Two approved origins per glove specification. Approve a Malaysia or Thailand line and a USA-made line for the same spec, so an allocation or a new duty does not restart clinical review.
- Dating in writing. Short-dated lots hide behind the lowest quotes. Ask for the expiration on the lot being offered.
- A 30 to 60 day buffer on exam gloves. Gloves are cheap to hold and expensive to run out of. Health systems on an open purchase order can have that buffer held in Edina.
What Keystone stocks
Keystone stocks Malaysia-origin Raxwell nitrile exam gloves and USA-made Maxter nitrile in Edina, Minnesota, alongside Intco and Basic Medical lines, and quotes every glove with country of origin, mil thickness by zone, pack size and lot dating on the same sheet. Case and pallet tiers, standing orders, and Net 30 terms for approved accounts.
Browse exam gloves or request a glove quote with your annual volume and current origin.
Sources
- Wiley Rein, "USTR Releases Final Section 301 Modifications in Four-Year Review": https://www.wiley.law/alert-USTR-Releases-Final-Section-301-Modifications-in-Four-Year-Review
- GloveSaver, "2026 Nitrile Glove Tariffs: How 100% Duties Are Changing Prices": https://glovesaver.com/blogs/news/2026-nitrile-glove-tariffs-how-100-duties-are-changing-prices-and-what-smart-buyers-are-doing
- CenterPoint Group, "Why nitrile glove costs rose 31.1% in 2026" (August 31, 2026): https://www.centerpointgroup.com/blog/why-nitrile-glove-prices-are-rising
- U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, Section 232 investigations: https://www.bis.gov/about-bis/bis-leadership-and-offices/SIES/section-232-investigations
