Kenya’s President William Ruto stated on Tuesday that the country will not ban the import of second-hand clothing, known locally as "mitumba". This was more than a domestic reassurance to market traders, it was a clear political signal in a global debate increasingly framed around textile waste, trade justice and industrial development. SHORT SUMMARY Kenya’s decision not to ban second-hand clothing imports challenges dominant narratives that portray reuse as a waste problem o

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.

At the start of 2026, India reintroduced import duties on cotton, ending a period of duty-free access to foreign cotton. The decision is aimed at protecting domestic farmers, but it could have wider consequences for clothing production, prices, and textile waste flows far beyond India.

The EU is preparing a historic shift by introducing mandatory producer responsibility for textiles, a reform intended to reshape how textile waste is financed and managed across Europe. The goal is clear, brands placing textiles on the European market must also pay for the cost of managing them as waste. But even before the system comes into force, a structural risk has emerged. The explosive volume of ultra-cheap garments shipped into Europe by platforms such as Shein threat