Regulating Fashion

Latin Trade,  Sept, 1999  by Mike Ceaser

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ROBERTO FLORES PROUDLY WEARS HIS gray Notre Dame University sweatshirt, but he's no fan of the Fightin' Irish. 'Used clothing is cheap:' says the 15-year-old Bolivian boy who shines shoes on the streets of La Paz. The sweatshirt cost him $1.20.

In Bolivia, one of the region's poorest countries, government officials aren't so enthusiastic about Flores' choice of fashion. They have passed a new law to regulate the business because they say used clothing threatens people's health and hurts the nation's textile industry.

Herberto Sanchez, president of a local used clothing sellers association, says the government is wrong. "We've been wearing the clothing for 13 years and we've never gotten sick:' he says.

True, say Bolivian officials, who acknowledge there have been no known cases of illness attributed to used clothing. But they still intend to enforce the new law because of pressure from the nation's textile manufacturers.

National Association of Textile Industries President Javier Asbun says the industry is working at about a quarter of its capacity and that used clothing imports have been growing at a rate of almost 25% each year.

Almost all used clothing sold in Bolivia is imported-the bulk of it illegally- from the United States. Its quality varies widely, from "select clothing" sold in stores to piles of garments peddled by vendors in outdoor markets.

Under the new law, all imported used clothing must be disinfected in the nation of origin and again in Bolivia, and at least 11 permits or documents will be needed to get the goods through customs. Duties also are being raised. Used underwear, pajamas and shoes won't be permitted to enter the country. "The regulation will try, in the long run, to discourage this activity," vows Internal Commerce Advisor Waldo Riveros.

Even with the new law, Bolivian textile makers aren't happy. "We don't accept the law It has to be prohibition or nothing," says Asbun.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Freedom Magazines, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning