According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), during the 2013-2022 period the volume of imported textiles and textile goods entering Indonesia reached an average of 2.16 million tonnes per year, with an average import value of US$8.8 billion per year. This figure includes all imports of textiles and textile goods in class non-knitted products, clothing accessories, and various other finished textile products, including used clothing. In the last decade, the volume of textile imports reached a level of below 2 million tonnes in 2020, at the same time as the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then, as the pandemic began to subside, in 2021 the import volume recovered to the level of 2 million tons and the import value continued to strengthen.

In fact, in 2022, the value of imported textiles and textile goods entering Indonesia will reach US$10.1 billion, an increase of 7.4% compared to 2021 (year-on-year/yoy) and a new record high.

This strengthening also occurred when import volume fell 2.1% (yoy) to 2.16 million tons. This indicates that there will be significant strengthening of commodity prices in 2022.

According to the Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers Association (Apsyfi), the large number of imported products is one of the factors hampering the growth of the local textile industry.

"During the Covid-19 pandemic, the market was still there, exports (of textiles) were still going on. Now, exports are still difficult, the local (market) is also being invaded by imported products. So it has dropped a lot," said the Chairman General Apsyfi Redma Gita, Monday (25/9/2023).

"This (the decline in the performance of the local textile industry) has been happening since the third quarter (2022). What we regret is, until now the government has done nothing to improve the condition of the industry, so every month there are layoffs, reducing production. "Every month, factories close. This is worse than yesterday's Covid-19," said Redma.