Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s plan to reimpose restrictions on the import of used clothing bales has left thrift sellers at Pasar Senen anxious. The new policy has caused supply ships to halt operations, inventory to dwindle, and customer traffic to decline sharply.

At Block III of Pasar Senen, a used-underwear vendor who requested anonymity said that they are now only selling leftover stock, as ships that usually bring in used clothing to Indonesia are no longer allowed to unload their cargo.

“There’s no more supply coming in. The ships aren’t allowed to dock anymore, so we’re struggling to get new goods,” the vendor told detikcom on Monday.

He explained that most of the used clothes come from South Korea and Japan, though some also originate from Australia. The vendor estimated that shipments have been halted for about a month now.

“The goods are mostly from Korea and Japan, but there are also some from Australia. It’s been about a month since imports stopped. What we’re selling now are just leftover stocks from the warehouse,” he said.

According to him, if the situation continues and supplies run out, Block III of Pasar Senen will lose many customers, since the thrift clothing area is the main attraction of the market.

“People come to Senen mainly to look for thrift items. If it’s just plaques or political merchandise, maybe they sell once a month. Without thrifting, the market would be dead,” he added.

This situation has made many vendors nervous, including food stall owners on the top floor, who also rely on market crowds for their income.

Another vendor, who sells used imported jackets, echoed the same concern. He emphasized that thrift shops are the main driver of visitor traffic in Pasar Senen.

“If these secondhand goods run out, I think the market will lose all its visitors. What attracts people here are the secondhand items,” he explained.

In a separate statement, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa openly addressed the concerns of Pasar Senen traders as he reaffirmed his plan to enforce the ban on importing used clothing bales (balpres). He acknowledged that Pasar Senen is one of the largest thrift centers in Jakarta.

The former Chairman of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) added that the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) would not conduct raids at Pasar Senen, but instead tighten supervision at ports — the main entry points for illegal used clothing — through the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

Through this measure, it is expected that the supply of illegal secondhand clothing to Indonesia will decrease. Once the supply dries up, traders will gradually switch to selling domestically made products.

“I’m not going to raid the market, I’ll just focus on the ports. Once the supply decreases, naturally the market will too. We’ll observe how it goes. If the flow stops completely, traders will have no choice but to switch to local products,” Purbaya stated.