The import of used clothing is harming the domestic industry.
Karawang, W Java (ANTARA) - The Trade Ministry destroyed 750 bales of imported second-hand clothes, worth Rp8 billion to Rp9 billion, at a rented warehouse in Karawang district, West Java province, since importing the products is prohibited.

"Especially after being checked in the laboratory, they (the second-hand clothes) contain fungi which, if used for a long time, will damage the skin (of the people wearing it)," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said here on Friday.

Thus, the products could harm the health of the Indonesian people.

In addition, the minister said that the destruction of the imported commodity is aimed at protecting the local textile industry.

"The import of used clothing is harming the domestic industry. Trading of second-hand clothes is not prohibited, however, it is not allowed if the product is imported," he remarked.

Still, he appealed to the public to be more careful in wearing any used clothing products.

"(By destroying infected clothes) we take security measures, while at the same time we (also) want to educate the public regarding the risks of using used clothes. One of them is the fungi, thus people should be more careful," he emphasized.

However, he did not reveal the origin of the imported clothing, which was secured by the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (PKTN) of the ministry.

Meanwhile, the Director General of PKTN, Veri Anggrijono, said that illegal imports of used clothing were often carried out through small ports from various countries.

“Hence, we continue to coordinate with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (of the Finance Ministry) in conducting the surveillance (of the imported products)," he stated.

Importing second-hand clothing is prohibited in Indonesia based on the Trade Minister’s Regulation Number 51 of 2015 regarding the Prohibition of the Import of Used Clothing, which states that the commodity has the potential to harm people’s health, thus it is not safe to be used by the community.

In addition, the ban on imports is aimed at protecting the interests of the consumers.

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Translator: Sella Gareta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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