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The figures for used clothing imports in Chile experienced significant increases between 2019 and 2022. In the latter year, they amounted to more than ** tons, reaching their highest volume in the third quarter, with nearly * tons. The growth of the second-hand fashion industry is expanding not only in the South American country but also globally. According to the most recent estimates, the global size of this market will exceed *** billion U.S. dollars by 2026.

Relevance of clothing imports for retail

The importation of garments and clothing accessories, both new and used, has played a key role within the Chilean retail sector. Not surprisingly, the transactional value of this activity was approximately billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The Asian continent is the main origin of retail clothing and footwear imports, with China leading the way.

Environmental damage from textile waste in Chile

But not everything is rosy, and the excess of clothing imports has also meant a serious environmental problem for Chile. In 2022, various environmental groups denounced the existence of illegal landfills in natural reserves. One example is the Atacama Desert, where more than *** hectares of its surface are covered by waste. Most of it consists of clothing and other items such as automobile and electronic parts, which could take more than 200 years to decompose.