SECONDHAND CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES TO GUATEMALA:

A STUDY OF TRADE, DISTRIBUTION, AND LOCAL IMPACT

 

 

Guatemala’s secondhand clothing (SHC) sector plays a critical role in supporting affordable clothing access, income generation, and material reuse in a country where 71 per cent of employment is informal and over half the population lives in poverty.

In 2023, Guatemala imported 131.25 million kilograms of secondhand clothing under HS Code 63091, 98.6 per cent of which originated from the United States—making Guatemala one of the largest SHC importers in Central America.

This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the SHC value chain, retail and waste dynamics, and its socioeconomic impact in Guatemala, as well as targeted recommendations for how the United States, as the primary source country, can play a more active role in supporting global textile circularity.

Download full report here

 

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