A new U.S.–El Salvador trade agreement has clarified that used clothing shipped from the United States can qualify for preferential treatment under CAFTA-DR

From policy concept to practical experiment: the EU is testing automated systems that pay consumers to return used clothing, linking collection directly to reuse, recycling and upcoming regulatory frameworks. The European Commission has launched a multi-year pilot project testing automated collection and sorting systems for post-consumer textiles in Spain and Finland. The project, known as TexMat and led by Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre together with partners in sev

Beyond headlines about geopolitics and agriculture, the EU–Mercosur trade agreement is set to alter competitive dynamics in the global textile and apparel sector, with implications for sourcing, sustainability strategies and circular business models. Following the political agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, textile and apparel actors are beginning to assess how the deal may affect global markets. The agreement will gradua

Industry associations EuRIC and FEAD have jointly called for immediate support measures for the EU’s post-consumer textiles sector while Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are phased in under the revised Waste Framework Directive. Though the planned EPR regime is expected to shift management costs to producers, its long implementation timeline means collection, sorting and recycling operations face severe financial strain today. The groups propose temporary fundin

A coalition of European NGOs and reuse operators, including Emmaüs Europe and RREUSE, has issued a joint statement highlighting mounting pressures on the EU second-hand textiles sector. Oversupply of low-quality fast fashion, rising operational costs and market saturation are squeezing social enterprises that collect, sort and resell textile goods. The policy paper urges urgent regulatory action such as fair Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, interim financial su

Shein’s leadership is set to appear before the European Parliament and has recently held meetings with the European Commission after heightened regulatory pressure across the bloc. The developments come shortly after France considered temporary restrictions on the platform’s operations, triggering concern among lawmakers over transparency, product safety and compliance with EU rules. Several members of the European Parliament have called for stronger enforcement rather than c

The European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur have reached a political agreement on their long-negotiated partnership deal. For the textile and apparel sector, the agreement brings concrete and time-bound changes that will shape trade between the two regions.

Following the entry into force of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive in October 2025, sector organisations are now turning attention to how mandatory textile EPR systems will be implemented at national level.

Following the agreement to introduce a €3 flat fee on small parcels imported into the EU, several policymakers are already questioning whether the measure will be sufficient to curb the surge of ultra-cheap goods entering the European market.

On 12 December, EU member states agreed to introduce a flat €3 fee per small parcel imported from outside the EU, primarily affecting low-cost platforms such as Shein and Temu.

The EU has approved the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC), introducing a more harmonised and data-driven system aimed at tightening market surveillance and improving coordination between national customs authorities.

The suspension follows a petition claiming Kenya signed the deal without properly consulting its East African Community (EAC) partners. The Kenyan government has now moved quickly to contain the fallout after the East African Court of Justice halted implementation of the EU–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement.

Nearly 50 Swedish and Nordic fashion companies — including H&M, Lindex, Acne Studios, and Björn Borg — are demanding a VAT cut on used clothes.

The European textile and apparel industry is calling on the European Commission to streamline rather than expand regulations for textiles

A recent LinkedIn post by the European Commission has triggered a lively discussion about how Europeans manage their old clothes, just days after the implementation of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive.

A group of members of the European Parliament is pressing the European Commission to take immediate and decisive action to curb the rise of ultra-fast fashion in the EU market. In a priority question, MEPs from the PPE group ask how the Commission plans to use trade and regulatory tools to protect Member States from unfair competition and non-compliant textiles.

A coalition of representatives from the global textiles collection, reuse, and recycling sectors — joined by policymakers and academic experts — has issued an open letter to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), raising serious concerns about the integrity, methodology, and practical implications of UNEP’s Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project.

The collection of clothes and textiles has quickly become a logistical and economic trial for many actors in Europe. Two of the largest operators in Germany have filed for insolvency, and collection organizations in Sweden are struggling to keep operations running. "It's a system on the brink of collapse," says Cristofer Ståhlgren and Lars Råsberg from Human Bridge, Sweden's largest collector of used clothes. "Is this really what they intended?" they ask. Human Bridge has agr

Global fiber production hit a record 132 million tons in 2024, more than double since 2000.

There are no plans for an emergency fund to support struggling clothing collectors in Europe, says Commissioner Jessika Roswall.