Two closely linked EU decisions are set to reshape the competitive landscape for Europe’s textile and apparel sector. Together, they signal a more assertive approach to market supervision at a time when circularity ambitions risk being undermined by fast-growing ultra-fast-fashion platforms.

Does second-hand clothing really undermine local textile industries in African countries such as Ghana and Kenya? It is a claim that has been repeated for decades. But when we look at what the evidence actually says, the picture becomes far more nuanced.

A report from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute highlights both the promise and the fragility of today’s international textile reuse system. While the study documents a well-organised value chain linking used-clothing collections to thriving second-hand markets, it also underscores that regulatory, logistical and political pressures in Europe risk undermining one of the few proven circular models that actually works.

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 pressure on UNEP and Basel Convention is building up when it comes to classification of used textiles. Last week SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association in USA) has submitted detailed formal comments to the Basel Convention Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), strongly urging them to reject proposals that would reclassify used textiles as “waste,” “hazardous waste,” or “plastic waste.”

On one hand, EU is taking aim at ultra‑fast‑fashion imports from China, while on the other it is pressing ahead with policies that could significantly restrict exports of second‑hand clothing to African countries. The combined effect threatens to accelerate the dominance of Chinese ultra‑fast‑fashion clothing and raises concerns over unintended environmental and social consequences.

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.

"It is fast fashion - driven by overproduction and throwaway culture - that fuels the textile waste crisis. Yet blame has shifted onto a sector that actively reduces waste - the second-hand sector. The claim that this sector exports waste is not supported by data, and it defies logic."

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.

Explore how China’s ultra fast fashion boom may be threatening second-hand clothing markets in Africa, its impact on textile waste & local economies