- Work gloves can be broadly divided into sewn work gloves and knitted work gloves, and come in materials such as cotton, synthetic fiber, rubber and leather. In this issue, we focus on knitted work gloves made mainly from recycled cotton fiber. Recently, there have emerged on the market knitted work gloves made from 100%-recycled materials (45% recycled cotton and 55% recycled PET bottles). In addition, stretch-knitted and crochet-knitted gloves with plastic added and gloves coated or covered in plastic have also appeared.
- Work gloves were first used in Japan in around 1844-1860 in order to handle guns due to the risk of the guns rusting if handled with bare hands when performing Dutch military drills. It also seems that low-ranking samurai in Choshu made gloves as a sideline for the rifle regiment. In1867, when the Tokugawa shogunate established a standing army, demand for gloves dramatically increased, and military demand increased still further from the start of the Meiji period in 1868. The initial association with the military led to work gloves being called "gunte " (army gloves) in Japanese.
- The mixed spinning industry and manufacturers of mixed-spun work gloves became concentrated in the east and west of the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture (centering around Okazaki City, which has a flourishing textile recycling industry) and around the Sennan district of Osaka. These areas of production supplied 80% of national demand, and prospered until the end of the 1980s. Mixed-spun work gloves were essential to the agricultural and industrial production that was the driving force of Japan's rapid growth after the Second World War, and demand continued to grow. The introduction of automatic glove knitting machines in the early 1970s made it possible for producers, who were dependent on household industry and pieceworkers, to mass produce gloves, and annual domestic output reached 50 million dozen. Domestic demand is now around 60 million dozen, but because of the increase in imports, domestic output is estimated to be around only 20 million dozen at present. Imports have increased still further over the past couple of years, and now account for around 80% of total demand.
- Domestic output of work gloves during the 1990s was as follows:
| 1993 |
42,051,600 dozen pairs |
| 1995 |
32,400,000 dozen pairs |
| 1997 |
26,260,000 dozen pairs |
| 1999 |
19,110,000 dozen pairs |
Source: Japanese Federation of Work Glove Industry Associations
- The main sources of demand for specially spun work gloves are (1) companies (60%), (2) ordinary consumers (35%), and (3) the government and public sectors (5%).
- Imports of specially spun work gloves over the past few years have been as follows:
|
World |
China |
| 1994 |
12,381,249 dozen pairs |
6,565,269 dozen pairs |
| 1995 |
16,664,106 dozen pairs |
9,163,431 dozen pairs |
| 1996 |
20,794,393 dozen pairs |
12,162,958 dozen pairs |
| 1997 |
22,592,285 dozen pairs |
14,347,159 dozen pairs |
| 1998 |
24,008,484 dozen pairs |
15,500,149 dozen pairs |
| 1999 |
57,052,716 dozen pairs |
37,976,578 dozen pairs |
Source: Ministry of Finance trade statistics
- Overseas, Japanese manufacturers started trying to sell glove knitting machines to makers of knitting materials from the 1990s, and Japanese firms also began establishing joint ventures with overseas Chinese and locals and producing overseas using secondhand knitting machines from Japan. Most of their output was shipped to Japan. Production operations were initially established in South Korea and Taiwan, and spread to other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Thailand and India. As mixed-spun work gloves are loosely knitted products, there is little demand overseas, and the majority of mixed-spun work gloves manufactured in China and Southeast Asia are exported to Japan.
- The leading sources of imports in 1999 were as follows:
| 1. |
China |
37,976,578 dozen pairs |
(66.56%) |
| 2. |
Indonesia |
10,257,427 dozen pairs |
(17.98%) |
| 3. |
Thailand |
3,178,049 dozen pairs |
( 5.57%) |
| 4. |
Philippines |
1,751,653 dozen pairs |
(3.07%) |
| 5. |
Taiwan |
1,360,748 dozen pairs |
(2.39%) |
| 6. |
Vietnam |
646,626 dozen pairs |
(1.13%) |
| 7. |
South Korea |
595,198 dozen pairs |
(1.04%) |
| 8. |
Others |
1,286,437 dozen pairs |
(2.26%) |
|
Total |
57,052,716 dozen pairs |
(100%) |
Source: Ministry of Finance trade statistics
- Japanese exports of mixed-spun work gloves in 1999 amounted to 464,073 dozen, of which 242,355 dozen were bound for the United States, 98,177 dozen for South Korea, and 123,541 dozen to elsewhere.
- The price of imports per dozen is in the region of \150-160, which sell for \200 per dozen pairs in Japan. The price of imports is continuing to decline. The price per dozen pairs of gloves produced in Japan is about \280, making it very difficult for Japanese manufacturers to compete.
- All makers take out product liability insurance, and there have been no major claims to date.
- 70% of the work gloves produced in Japan are sold directly to the plants where they are used, 20% are delivered to plants by specialist carriers, and the remaining 10% are delivered via wholesalers. Imports are sold mainly by discount stores, such as DIY shops, via trading companies, or delivered directly by importers.
- Imported mixed-spun work gloves produced mainly in China are estimated to already account for 70-80% of domestic demand. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is investigating the possibility of introducing emergency import restrictions (safeguard measures) on textile products, but there is some doubt over the feasibility of such a step. Even if implemented, there is little hope of such measures having much effect considering the length of time required for investigating the harm to producers and the time required for negotiations. The industry must therefore give up the foolish idea of competing with imports on price terms, and seek instead to (1) develop products that offer users greater functionality, and (2) discover ways of increasing recycling to contribute to the environmentally friendly, sustainable society of the 21st century. Already makers are (1) differentiating themselves by producing high quality products for special uses that cannot be manufactured overseas, (2) aggressively expanding overseas and strengthening their position as trading companies rather than simply manufacturers, and (3) developing items and ideas for products other than work gloves. The first of these approaches is proving particularly popular.
(The assistance of the Japan Federation of Work Glove Industry Associations with this article is gratefully acknowledged.)
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