Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry is set to implement stricter controls against illegal imports of used shoes, referred to as thrift shoes, in an effort to boost the domestic industry. The regulation is in line with the prohibition on thrift clothes import regulated by the Ministry of Trade. Acting Director General of Chemical, Pharmacy, and Textile Industry (IKFT) at the ministry, Ignatius Warsito, expressed confidence that control enforcement will benefit the domestic industry and highlighted the fact that many young entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the ban on imported thrift clothes by producing very competitive domestic products, both in terms of design and quality. The domestic shoe market has also grown in a strong manner, and Indonesia ranks fourth in the world with regard to the footwear industry. Warsito concluded by stating that Kemenperin will continue to support the Intensification of Domestic Product Utilization (P3DN) program to promote the spirit of love for domestic products in an effort to suppress the imported thrift shoes market.
