Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact
Secondhand clothing has undergone a significant transformation from a vital household asset in the pre-industrial era to a dynamic segment of global trade in the 21st century. However, the advent of fast fashion has led to overproduction and mass consumption of inexpensive garments, fueling a surge...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Commodities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/4/1/3 |
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| author | Debanjan Das |
| author_facet | Debanjan Das |
| author_sort | Debanjan Das |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Secondhand clothing has undergone a significant transformation from a vital household asset in the pre-industrial era to a dynamic segment of global trade in the 21st century. However, the advent of fast fashion has led to overproduction and mass consumption of inexpensive garments, fueling a surge in the secondhand clothing trade. Between 2002 and 2022, the market value of this industry quadrupled, with exports accounting for 1.17% of total global clothing exports in 2022. This study examines global secondhand clothing exports using export competitiveness tools such as revealed comparative advantage (RCA), the index of export market penetration (IEMP), the trade intensity index (TII), unit values, market shares, and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The top eleven secondhand clothing exporting countries are analyzed for a ten year period (2013 to 2022) using the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. The analysis reveals notable trends: the United States and China dominate the market, while Pakistan and the UAE exhibit the highest growth rates. The study also reaffirmed that trade patterns for secondhand clothing continue to flow from the Global North—including China—to the Global South, a trend observed since the early 2000s. This research provides a comprehensive, current analysis of the ever growing secondhand clothing export market within the sustainable management of the secondhand clothing context. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6ea52eeea77c4c03b57c9c7f31d1246a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2813-2432 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Commodities |
| spelling | doaj-art-6ea52eeea77c4c03b57c9c7f31d1246a2025-08-20T03:43:21ZengMDPI AGCommodities2813-24322025-03-0141310.3390/commodities4010003Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and ImpactDebanjan Das0Department of Fashion, Design & Merchandising, School of Art and Design, West Virginia University, 702C Allen Hall, 355 Oakland Street, Morgantown, WV 26506, USASecondhand clothing has undergone a significant transformation from a vital household asset in the pre-industrial era to a dynamic segment of global trade in the 21st century. However, the advent of fast fashion has led to overproduction and mass consumption of inexpensive garments, fueling a surge in the secondhand clothing trade. Between 2002 and 2022, the market value of this industry quadrupled, with exports accounting for 1.17% of total global clothing exports in 2022. This study examines global secondhand clothing exports using export competitiveness tools such as revealed comparative advantage (RCA), the index of export market penetration (IEMP), the trade intensity index (TII), unit values, market shares, and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The top eleven secondhand clothing exporting countries are analyzed for a ten year period (2013 to 2022) using the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. The analysis reveals notable trends: the United States and China dominate the market, while Pakistan and the UAE exhibit the highest growth rates. The study also reaffirmed that trade patterns for secondhand clothing continue to flow from the Global North—including China—to the Global South, a trend observed since the early 2000s. This research provides a comprehensive, current analysis of the ever growing secondhand clothing export market within the sustainable management of the secondhand clothing context.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/4/1/3secondhand clothingtradeexportimportmarket sharesupply chain |
| spellingShingle | Debanjan Das Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact Commodities secondhand clothing trade export import market share supply chain |
| title | Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact |
| title_full | Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact |
| title_fullStr | Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact |
| title_full_unstemmed | Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact |
| title_short | Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact |
| title_sort | secondhand clothing in global commerce trade patterns and impact |
| topic | secondhand clothing trade export import market share supply chain |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/4/1/3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT debanjandas secondhandclothinginglobalcommercetradepatternsandimpact |