Revealed, Here's The Importer Mode For Smuggling Used Clothes Into The Country

Illustration of imported clothing. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Small and Medium Enterprises of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs Hanung Harimba revealed that the mode of importing used clothing products was carried out by tricking officers.

"Some of the under-declared goods sent are new items and then used goods are inserted in the import process," said Hanung as quoted by Antara, Thursday, March 16.

In addition, he continued, there were also importers who deliberately did not admit used goods in the import process and there were also people who used smuggling modes.

Finally, from this activity there are several items that cannot be used or become garbage in the country.

To deal with these used goods, the government often destroys them by burning them. However, this effort called Hanung requires a lot of money.

"To burn it, the cost of destroying it is big. Because waste is a big treatment, this is an environmental problem," said Hanung.

For that, he continued, support from all parties is needed to commit to this fight.

"I think I ask for all support so that the steps are how. We don't want this country to become a waste reservoir country. I want this to move one way that this is detrimental. This step must be the same," he said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the import activity of used clothes greatly disrupted the development of the domestic industry.

"I have ordered to find the right one and many people have met every two days. It interferes with the domestic textile industry," said President Joko Widodo.

Used clothes themselves are items that are prohibited from being imported based on the Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 18 of 2021 as amended by the Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 40 of 2022 concerning Amendments to Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 18 of 2021 concerning Prohibited Exports and Goods Prohibited from Imports.