Influx of Cheap Secondhand Clothing Poses Dual Threat to Indonesia's Textile Industry and Environment

Recently, Indonesia's textile industry is facing a severe challenge: a large volume of cheap secondhand clothing is flooding the market through illegal channels, severely impacting domestic manufacturing and exacerbating the waste management crisis.

Data from the Indonesian Textile Association indicates that smuggled secondhand clothing now accounts for approximately 25% of the domestic apparel market share. This has led to a sharp decline in orders for local textile enterprises, with over 150 factories ceasing operations in the past two years, putting tens of thousands of workers at risk of unemployment. These secondhand garments primarily originate from countries like those in Europe, America, and South Korea. They enter Indonesia under the guise of "waste fabric" through smuggling networks, are sorted, and then enter the market at extremely low prices.

At famous secondhand markets in Jakarta, such as Pasar Senen, vendors frankly admit, "These clothes cost only 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about 9 RMB) per kilogram to procure, but over a third are unsellable due to damage or stains." Unsold clothing ultimately ends up in landfills. Synthetic fiber products take centuries to decompose naturally, and the annual increase in textile waste now exceeds 200,000 tons.

The Indonesian government has implemented multiple measures in response: customs authorities seized over 600 tons of smuggled secondhand clothing in 2023; the Ministry of Industry launched a "Love Domestic Products" campaign to encourage government departments and schools to procure local textiles; and the Ministry of Finance is studying increased tax incentives for domestic textile enterprises to enhance their market competitiveness.

Industry insiders point out that merely cracking down on smuggling is insufficient to address the root cause. Indonesia's textile industry needs to accelerate technological upgrades and develop eco-friendly recycled fabrics. Simultaneously, it should learn from experiences like Bangladesh's establishment of "textile circular economic zones" to transform waste into industrial resources. Environmental organizations in Jakarta suggest establishing a clothing recycling certification system to guide consumers towards rational participation in the secondhand economy.

Faced with this dual challenge to industry and the environment, Indonesia is searching for a viable path to balance an open market with the protection of its domestic industry. Its response experience will also serve as an important reference for other developing countries.