SMART has obtained official documentation from the Ugandan government indicating that it intends to impose a licensing scheme on secondhand clothing imports (HTS 6309), with the stated goal of gradually phasing out and eventually banning these goods. A June 5, 2025 letter from the Ugandan Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, followed by a June 16, 2025 communication from the Uganda Revenue Authority to all customs officials, confirms that import permits will be required immediately and explicitly states that the intent is to “gradually phase out importation of used/second clothing and apparels.”
This policy direction follows President Museveni’s 2023 remarks promoting new garment factories, many backed by Chinese foreign investment, and signals a clear and coordinated effort to prioritize domestic and foreign-owned apparel manufacturing at the direct expense of U.S. exports. SMART views this action as a direct violation of Uganda’s obligations under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which requires participating countries to maintain open markets for U.S. goods, including secondhand clothing. It also undermines the terms of the 2016 settlement negotiated with the United States that successfully reversed an earlier East African Community attempt to impose such a ban.
On June 20, 2025, SMART formally raised these concerns in a letter to USTR Jamieson Greer, urging the U.S. government to press Uganda to honor its AGOA commitments and maintain open market access for secondhand clothing. As outlined in that letter, any pursuit of a ban would not only harm U.S. exporters and the global textile reuse industry, but also reduce access to affordable clothing for millions of Ugandan consumers.
SMART strongly opposes Uganda’s actions and supports USTR engagement to hold Uganda accountable under AGOA. More broadly, SMART continues to advocate for recognition that textile reuse and recycling is a vital global industry that supports jobs, reduces waste, and provides affordable clothing to communities around the world.
