Angola: One of main destinations for Chinese second-hand clothes

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Angola: One of main destinations for Chinese second-hand clothes

8:09 CAT | 14 Aug 2024

File photo: Lusa

According to a United Nations report, Kenya, Angola, and Ghana are among the main destinations for second-hand clothes exported by China. The report estimates that this market represents a turnover of more than $9 billion.

In 2021, Africa was China’s main destination for second-hand clothes, particularly Angola, Ghana and Kenya, which imported 20% of the clothing from the Asian country, whose exports rose from $53 million (€48.5 million) in 2020 to $140 million (€128.2 million) in 2021, the United Nations Economic Commission (UNECE) report dated June 2024 points out.

These garments usually come from the richest countries and are sold to the poorest, with the main exporters being the European Union (30%), China (16%), and the United States (15%). Asia, predominantly Pakistan, accounted for 28% of purchases, Africa 19% (mainly Ghana and Kenya), and Latin America 16% (mainly Chile and Guatemala).

The report, “Reversing direction in the used clothing crisis: Global, European and Chilean perspectives” points out that the textile industry’s production model has changed from one based on natural fibres and protectionist policies to one in which synthetic fibres have become ubiquitous, production has been delocalised, and the speed of manufacturing and distributing products has accelerated rapidly.

This ‘fast-fashion’ model involving more collections per year, usually at low prices, and worn for less and less time has led to overproduction and overconsumption of clothes, which has stimulated the development of the second-hand clothing market, with transactions valued at $9.3 billion (€8.5 billion) in 2021.

The volume of discarded clothes has increased almost sevenfold in the last three decades, according to the UNECE report.

The document also states that the increase in clothing production has been accompanied by reduced quality.

It pointed out that much of the clothing is made from mixed synthetic fibres that are difficult to separate, reducing the possibility of economic reuse and recycling, particularly in developed countries.

In 2021, the European Union exported second-hand clothing to more than 100 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, exceeding 1.8 million tonnes with a value of $1.66 billion (€1.52 billion).

Source: Lusa