Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Maman Abdurrahman, stated that the government does not prohibit MSMEs from selling second-hand clothes. He emphasized that law enforcement only targets those who import second-hand clothing from abroad.
"We are only taking action against those who import second-hand clothes. I do not see any problems with thrifting or anything like that. The issue is the import of second-hand clothes," Maman told journalists at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Jakarta, on Monday, November 17, 2025.
According to Maman, the practice of selling second-hand clothes actually takes many forms and not all of them are problematic. Problems arise when second-hand goods from abroad are brought into the country illegally, which harms the domestic industry.
After the import of second-hand clothes is stopped, Maman stated that the government will collaborate with the domestic textile industry to provide alternative products for traders who previously sold imported goods. The goal of this step is to support the traders' businesses while encouraging them to switch to local products.
"We want traders of second-hand clothes, who previously relied on imports, to continue trading. Therefore, we are preparing domestic products as substitutes," he said.
Article 47 of Law No. 7 of 2014 prohibits the import of second-hand clothing and requires importers to import goods in new condition. This regulation is reinforced through Minister of Trade Regulation No. 40 of 2022, which amends Minister of Trade Regulation No. 18 of 2021 concerning Prohibited Export and Import Goods.
Previously, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that the government will not directly clamp down on illegal goods that have already circulated in the market. The Directorate General of Customs and Excise will focus on tightening entry points.
With these measures, the government hopes that the supply of imported second-hand clothes to traders will decrease and eventually cease. "If everything is constrained, they will definitely switch to domestic products. I hope they will buy from our domestic products, from our SMEs," said Purbaya.
– Ilona Estherina Piri contributed to this article