The Association of Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers (APSyFI) said that textile entrepreneurs also import used clothing, such as gloves and trousers, which are used as recycled materials. This was done in line with the sluggish market, the perpetrators were forced to import used clothing waste. Chairman of Apsyfi Redma Gita Wiraswasta said, the decline in the performance of the domestic industry has forced several textile industry players, especially manufacturers of gloves and trousers to import auxiliary raw materials that utilize used clothing waste.

This was driven by the market sluggishness that has occurred since last year. Redma said that industry players are forced to import clothing waste from abroad so that the formal glove and pants industry can continue to operate.

"Because the industry is slowing down, domestic waste is minimal, so they have to import it," said Redma on Tuesday (21/3/2023).

These imports were then recorded by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) as imports of used clothing with HS 63090000, together with used clothing belonging to individuals, both Indonesian citizens and foreigners who entered Indonesia via delivery services.

"The data on the import of used clothing from BPS is used as raw material for yarn," Redma added.

The Relation to Illegal Thrifting of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Hope the Police and Customs Eradicate Used Clothing Importers Stop Illegal Imports of Used Clothing, the Government Will Eliminate Pasar Senen Traders? Redma further explained, these used clothes would then be minced again domestically and spun to then become yarn which is the raw material for formal gloves and trousers.

"The shape is still used clothes. Here it is chopped, made into thread again, to then be processed into cloth. Usually so gloves. If the cloth left over from the piece of garment thread can be used as material for formal pants." Redma explained.

Every year, Redma said, the domestic industry requires at least 10 tons of used clothing imported from abroad with this special permit and supervision. “Each year imports 10 tons.

For imports, special permits and supervision are needed because what is imported is included in the category of waste, "concluded Redma.

As previously reported by Bisnis, Head of BPS Margo Yuwono said, BPS did record imports of used clothing and other used goods which were recorded as HS 63090000, which were sent from abroad via delivery services, and were goods belonging to individuals.

These items are items that have been used before, or items that are not new. However, according to him, it is not included in the category of illegal imports of used goods. Apart from private property, Margo also said that BPS also recorded imports of used clothing in HS 63090000 to be used as supporting raw materials for the domestic industry.

BPS noted that imports of used clothing in Indonesia reached 26.22 tons throughout 2022. The value reached US$272,146 or the equivalent of IDR 4.21 billion (assuming an exchange rate of IDR 15,468 per US$). Meanwhile, the import volume in 2022 shot up 227.75 percent compared to the volume in 2021 which reached 8 tons. When viewed in terms of import value, the increase reached 518.5 percent compared to 2021 which reached US$44,000.