East Africa: Smuggling of Secondhand Clothes Increases

As reported by African media, there is an illegal trade with used clothes and leather products, since member states of the East African Community (EAC) had raised levies on second-hand textiles to protect the clothing industry of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. These countries decided in 2016 to restrict the import of such products. According to the report, analysts “have warned that if the illegal trade continues, economies of EAC partner states will suffer and the region‘s policies to promote domestic products will collapse”.

Furthermore, the illegal trade would cause tax fraud to smuggling.

GR12018