Jakarta. The Ministry for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has reaffirmed its commitment to curb the sale of illegal imported used clothing, or thrifted apparel, on e-commerce platforms, while still ensuring domestic traders can continue operating sustainably.

“The influx of imported used clothing destroys the domestic market. We want to protect local producers and ensure e-commerce platforms shut down access to illegal sales,” MSME Minister Maman Abdurrahman said in Jakarta on Friday.

The minister stressed the ban only applies to illegally imported secondhand clothing. Secondhand items originating from domestic production remain permitted for sale. The government is preparing assistance to help traders transition from imported used clothing to local products, including easier access to financing and efforts to reduce production costs so prices remain affordable.

Temmy Satya Permana, Deputy for Small Enterprises at the MSME Ministry, said e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia have agreed to comply with Trade Ministry Regulation No. 31/2023, which prohibits the trade of restricted goods, including imported used clothing.

“Platforms must take action against sellers who continue to offer illegal items. Enforcement will be gradual and proportional so compliant sellers are not harmed,” Temmy said after a closed-door meeting with e-commerce representatives in Jakarta.

He stressed the restriction does not amount to a mass blocking. Locally sourced preloved goods and personally-owned used clothing can still be sold.

As a solution, the MSME Ministry will connect traders with hundreds of local clothing brands so they can become resellers, official distributors, or even develop their own brand.

“We won’t allow MSME traders to lose income. We are preparing collaboration schemes between local brands, e-commerce platforms, and sellers so they can continue selling legal products,” Temmy said.

He added that used-clothing traders at Pasar Senen have expressed readiness to shift to domestically made products with support from local governments to help ensure a sustainable business transition.

A similar commitment comes from e-commerce players. Shopee Indonesia’s Deputy of Public Affairs, Radynal Nataprawira, said the platform is taking down sellers of illegal imported clothing through a human-based approach.

“The process is done manually, not algorithmically, to ensure fairness,” he said.

Tokopedia’s Lead of Public Policy, Richard Anggoro, said Tokopedia and TikTok Shop by Tokopedia will comply with the government ban. Lazada Indonesia’s Vice President for Government Affairs, Yovan Sudarma, also confirmed full support for the national policy.

Hilmi Adrianto, Chairman of the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA), said this policy is important to strengthen a healthy online trade ecosystem and support the growth of Indonesia’s local fashion industry.

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