More than 54 percent of imported clothes in Ukraine, or 111,700 tons, weren’t new in 2016.
Since then, the trend hasn’t changed dramatically – imported second-hand clothing from Europe and the the United States continue to stably increase.
Now, Ukraine officially ranks third globally after Pakistan and Malaysia, according to Tetyana Izovit, chairman of the board at Ukrainian Association of Light Industry Companies, or UALIC.
Even Russia, Cameroon, Guatemala and Kenya imported less than Ukraine.
“The problem is huge but not new and this market develops dynamically already for several decades in Ukraine,” Izovit to the Kyiv Post.
For the first nine months in 2018, Ukraine already imported 93,700 tons of used clothes, which is 1.2 percent more compared to the same period in 2017, according to UALIC.
The main problem that Izovit sees for Ukraine’s economy is the lack of income to the statebudget from sales of such clothes, as well as gray wages of a second-hand sellers.
“Nobody can calculate or control the price at which these clothes were sold, as well as how much taxes have been paid. Thus, Ukraine has not received extra Hr 9 billion ($320 million), to the budget for the past two years,” said Izovit.
Plus, under the guise of used clothes, quite often new clothes can be imported. This creates a non-competitive advantage for importers compared to domestic producers. The volume of imported worn clothes is equivalent to an annual loss of 45,000 jobs in Ukraine, UALIC calculated.
On the other hand, the reason for growth is simple: Many Ukrainians cannot afford to buy new clothes.
The real pension has fallen three times since 2014, from $185 to $68 per month, according to Maksim Goldarb, former chief auditor of the Ministry of Defense. The current monthly average salary in Ukraine amounts modest $320 as well, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine reported.
Thus, even democratic Europeans brands such as H&M or Zara scare Ukrianains with their prices, several times higher than for used clothes.
Another problem connected to the worn imported clothing no less frightening– potential health threats caused by disinfecting with the use of formaldehyde. The long-term health hazard hasn’t been thoroughly studied in Ukraine.
“Formaldehyde accumulates in the body and can cause liver diseases, cancer and allergies. I simply don’t understand how such clothes can be bought, for example, for children,” said Izovit.
