The Association of Indonesian Filament Yarn and Fiber Producers (APSyFI) is calling on the government to curb illegal imports ahead of the 2026 Eid al-Fitr. APSyFI Chair Redma Gita Wirawasta emphasized that the coming year will be pivotal for the future of the domestic textile sector, determining whether the industry can recover or if the current wave of layoffs will persist.
Since 2022, the domestic market has been flooded with imported textile goods, negatively affecting the industry.
“Then for three consecutive years, imported goods continue to dominate the market and textile producers have never celebrated Eid again, the impact is layoffs and factory closures,” Redma stated in a written release on Wednesday.
Redma urged the government to tackle illegal imports by prohibiting bulk shipments and tightening controls through measures such as BMADS/BMTPS or by cutting import quotas. He described unfair competition from imported goods as the core problem the domestic market faces.
Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurrahman previously noted that the biggest threat to local entrepreneurs comes from the influx of secondhand clothing imports. In 2021, these imports totaled 7 tons, rising to about 12 tons in both 2022 and 2023, before surging sharply to 3,600 tons in 2024.
However, from early 2025 through mid-year, the volume has declined. By August 2025, the figure stands at roughly 1,800 tons, he stated.
Maman explained that these imported goods entered the market due to a lack of upstream control by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise under the Ministry of Finance. At the same time, domestic textile producers have been impacted by clothing imports from China sold at unreasonably low prices.
He added that the government is continuing efforts to block the entry of used clothing. Additionally, traders of used clothing are being encouraged to shift toward local products in collaboration with various domestic brands.
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