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 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.