"This is a commitment from the Trade Ministry in conducting monitoring and law enforcement in trade, consumer protection, as well as domestic textile industry aspects," he said in a written statement received here on Monday.
The measure was a follow-up to reports from the ministry's representative in East Java region. On March 17, 2023, the ministry had destroyed at least 730 bundles of imported apparel, including clothes, shoes, and bags, worth around Rp10 billion (US$651 thousand) in Riau region.
"This is also in response to the rampant trade of imported secondhand clothes, both online and offline," Hasan said.
The import of secondhand clothes is prohibited under the Trade Ministry’s Regulation Number 18 of 2021, amended by the Trade Ministry’s Regulation Number 40 of 2022 on export and import prohibition lists.
The minister appealed to Indonesians to prioritize domestic products. Once there is less demand for imported secondhand clothes, the issue can be resolved, and the domestic industry can prosper in the long term, he said.
Meanwhile, acting director general of consumer protection and trade regulation, Moga Simatupang, said that imported secondhand clothes are said to have mold, which can cause some health problems.
This is in violation of Article 8 Clause 2 of Law Number 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection. Since they are imported products, they also violate Article 51 of Law Number 7 of 2014 on the Import of Prohibited Items.
"We are concerned that secondhand clothes like these would be harmful to health. We once tested secondhand clothes we monitored, and it is confirmed to have mold, which put human health risk," Simatupang noted.
People have also been urged to participate and collaborate in efforts to reject items whose imports have been prohibited.
Simatupang said he expected that the pulverization of imported clothes will serve as a lesson and a warning for business players choosing to disregard the regulation and a reminder for everyone to follow the rules in conducting their business.
"No compromise for business players who do not follow, or violate, the rules," he added.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia G P, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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