{"id":6635,"date":"2023-06-01T19:31:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T23:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=6635"},"modified":"2023-06-01T19:42:36","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T23:42:36","slug":"used-clothes-business-growing-in-yemen-heres-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/used-clothes-business-growing-in-yemen-heres-how-it-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Used clothes business growing in Yemen: Here\u2019s how it works"},"content":{"rendered":"

By YAN<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAny piece for 500 riyal only.\u201d
\nThat\u2019s what you often hear on sidewalks carrying piles of second-hand clothes in central Sanaa.<\/p>\n

People with limited income are no longer the only ones going through such piles of jackets, blouses, shirts and pants. Alongside them, you can find people who appear more well-to-do whom you wouldn\u2019t expect to see thrifting.
\nAli al-Senbani, an employee at a private company is dressed elegantly, but he says he often stops by these used clothes markets to see if he can find something he likes.
\n\u201cAs you can see, I have a brand-name shirt and jeans that I bought for no more than 1,500 riyal,\u201d he said. That\u2019s the equivalent of $2.5.
\nUsed clothes vendors are spreading across Sanaa, providing affordable options for Yemeni families, especially amid the harsh economic conditions resulting from the war, the freezing of public sector wages and high unemployment.
\n\u201cI try to get good and clean winter clothes for children – jackets and pajamas – to give to the poor and the needy,\u201d says Um Mohammad, a housewife, as she inspects clothes at a booth in Sanaa.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How it works<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women and children in Sanaa\u2019s most populous areas are the most likely customers.
\nMojahed al-Thamari, a store owner in the Shomailah neighborhood south of Sanaa, said second-hand clothes are sold all year long to different demographics.
\n\u201cThis is good and clean stuff, an alternative to the pricey malls and large shopping centers,\u201d al-Thamari told the Yemeni American News.
\nItems at these booths across Sanaa\u2019s working class neighborhoods range from 200 to 1,500 riyal. ($1 is around 530 riyal in Sanaa).
\nOne of the vendors, 15-year-old Raddad Abdullah, said the merchandise comes in large compressed bags called \u201cbala.\u201d
\n\u201cWe take it out and distribute and price each piece according to its cleanliness and quality,\u201d he said.
\nThe merchandise is acquired from international traders through different markets in the world. It varies in quality – with the top tier, known as \u201cgenerous\u201d, worn once or twice only before it\u2019s sold.
\n\u201cThe shop and stall owners pool their money and buy from certified importers, then we sell it,\u201d al-Thamari explained.
\n\u201cWe know nothing about the state or quality of the stuff that we get. Some come in good shape and some come ripped up and scruffy. We iron the clothes and steam them before we put them on display.\u201d
\nThe second-hand clothes business is not new or entirely the product of the war. The trade existed for decades in Yemen, but the demand for used clothes increased during the conflict. According to the ministry of industry and trade, used clothes imports doubled from $2 million to $4 million per year since the war started.<\/p>\n

The industry has open-air auctions known in Arabic as \u201charaj\u201d.
\nAbed Mansur, a used clothes business and manager of the Al-Hasaba auction, north of Sanaa, said most of what he imports is new, obtained from stores, malls or factories that have gone out of business, adding that the merchandise arrives clean and sterilized.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Regulations<\/strong><\/p>\n

The authorities in the areas under the control of the Houthi group, known as \u201cAnsar Allah\u201d, in north and central Yemen, imposed regulations on the second-hand clothes importers before granting licenses to allow their product into the country.
\nThese measures by the ministry of industry and trade have irked many people in the business, including Mansur.
\n\u201cMost of these procedures are arbitrary. Our shipments get seized at customs under the pretext that the licensing papers have not arrived,\u201d he said, adding that the clothes start emitting bad odors in the heat.
\nAnother merchant also voiced frustration to the Yemeni American News.
\n\u201cThe second-hand clothes system is global. The goods arrive clean, sterile and health-inspected with permits from the country of origin. There are also accredited and recognized laundries in Dubai and Saudi Arabia,\u201d he said.
\nFuad Howaidy, assistant undersecretary for foreign trade at the ministry of industry and trade, said the authorities reversed a decision to ban importing used clothes after objections from local merchants and international financial institutions.
\n\u201cStill, we imposed fines of up to 30 percent on violations in imports to stress the need of meeting the conditions of health and safety backed by appropriate certificates,\u201d Howaidy told the Yemeni American News.
\nHe added that the ministry makes unannounced inspections at warehouses and takes samples to ensure that they are clean and fit to wear. \u201cWe also prohibit merchants from importing undergarments, socks and shoes because they are susceptible to carrying bacteria,\u201d he said.
\nBut some merchants insist that the rules are excessive. \u201cOur expenses are increasing, which is pushing us to raise retail prices,\u201d one vendor said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Health warning<\/strong><\/p>\n

So now a black market is emerging where some merchants are smuggling their imports to go around the regulations and fees.
\nHowaidy said the authorities are imposing fines on stories without business records to crackdown on smuggling. \u201cWe are requiring them to show us the location of their warehouses,\u201d he said.
\nBesides second-hand clothes, merchandise from closing stores and old collections are also making their way to Yemen from international markets.
\nBut there is a health risk to this booming trade, warns Dr. Maher Al-Muriesh.
\n\u201cThese clothes could carry bacteria that are highly resistant to antibiotics, so if the clothes are not treated to get rid of germs, they can cause skin diseases and emit toxic fumes if burned,\u201d Al-Muriesh said.<\/p>\n

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