Import of Used Clothing Makes Jokowi Furious

Jokowi instructed his staff to immediately investigate the used clothing import business. Based on the reports he received, several parties were known to be running the business.

“This is within a day, these two days have met a lot. It disrupts the domestic textile industry, very disturbing. So, the import of second-hand clothes has stopped, (because) it is disturbing, very disturbing to our domestic industry,” said Jokowi.

Following Jokowi’s decision, the authorities, Friday (17/3), destroyed 730 bales of imported used clothes, shoes and bags worth approximately IDR 10 billion in Pekanbaru, Riau, Friday (17/03). The activity was witnessed directly by the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan together with Deputy Governor of Riau Edy Nasution and Acting Director General of Consumer Protection and Commerce Moga Simatupang.

According to Zulkifli, this extermination is a form of the Ministry of Trade’s commitment in the process of monitoring and law enforcement related to violations in the field of trade and consumer protection.

He added that this destruction was also a concrete step by the Ministry of Trade in following up on the President’s directives which criticized the import of used clothing because it had disrupted the domestic industry.

The Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan together with the Deputy Governor of Riau, Edy Nasution and the Acting Director General of Consumer Protection and Commerce, Moga Simatupang destroyed 730 bales of used clothing, shoes and bags which were allegedly imported from Indonesia worth approximately IDR 10 billion in Pekanbaru, Riau, Friday ( 17/03). (Bureau of Public Relations of the Ministry of Trade)

Used clothes, shoes and bags are goods that are prohibited from being imported based on the Minister of Trade Regulation Number 40 of 2022 concerning Amendments to the Minister of Trade Regulation Number 18 of 2021 concerning Export Prohibited Goods and Import Prohibited Goods.

Zulkifli hopes that consumers will prioritize buying new clothes from the domestic industry and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). According to him, domestic products are no less good than imported products, both in terms of quality and trends. The high use of domestic products can also reduce the circulation of used clothes.

Used Clothing Business in Other Countries

CORE Indonesia economist Muhammad Faisal said, in several countries that have low public purchasing power, such as in Africa, the import of used clothes is allowed in order to meet domestic needs.

Such practices should not have happened in Indonesia, he said, given the country’s better conditions compared to countries in Africa.

“Under such conditions, there should be supportive policies so that the labor-intensive textile or clothing industry can survive. The existence of a business like this, in my opinion, is somewhat contradictory, with the characteristics of Indonesia, especially in the midst of the textile industry as it is now. Indonesia’s purchasing power is not like African countries,” said Faisal.

Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan with Deputy Governor of Riau, Edy Nasution and Acting Director General of Consumer Protection and Commerce, Moga Simatupang at a press conference in Pekanbaru, Riau, Friday (17/03). (Bureau of Public Relations of the Ministry of Trade)

“Even though it’s not too high, not as high as in developed countries, the textile industry is still our mainstay industry. The domestic market should be guarded, because imports of used clothes will obviously erode the domestic market or the domestic textile industry market,” he added.

Faisal admitted that the used clothing business is developing in developed countries. However, he emphasized that what thrift shops sell are generally used domestic products.

“As far as I know, for example in Australia, there are lots of used clothing shops, but from the domestic (clothing industry). So it is the cycle of the new clothing industry that is produced or possibly sold domestically. We’ll see again, whether the clothing industry is strong or not there. Usually, if a country with a strong clothing industry, they will avoid the policy of importing used clothes or second-hand clothes,” he said. [gi/ab]