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UNECE-ECLAC joint study - Making trade work for circularity: Improving circularity in second-hand clothing through trade regulation (2026)

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09 June 2026

UNECE-ECLAC joint study - Making trade work for circularity: Improving circularity in second-hand clothing through trade regulation (2026)

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Poster showing clothes arranged in a recycling symbol with text on circular trade and second-hand clothing.

This study builds on the 2024 UNECE-ECLAC Joint Study - Reversing direction in the used clothing crisis: Global, European and Chilean perspectives by examining how trade policy can be leveraged to address systemic challenges in the global second-hand clothing market. It highlights the complex interface between sustainability objectives and international trade rules, focusing on how current trade practices can either enable or hinder circularity across textile value chains.

 

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UNECE-ECLAC Joint Study - Making Trade Work for Circularity: Improving Circular…
Publishing org

UNECE

Related Organisation(s)

UNECE

Topics
Geographical descriptors

Albania

Armenia

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

EU-27

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Kosovo

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

Montenegro

Netherlands

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Türkiye

Ukraine

Other

Organisation Type

International Organisations

National authorities

  • Transition Pathway's building blocks

    • Infrastructure

    • Investments and funding

    • R&I, techniques and technological solutions

    • Skills

    • Social dimension

    • Sustainable competitiveness

    • Regulation and public governance

  • Industrial ecosystems

    • Retail

    • Textile

  • Textiles ecosystem areas

    • Apparel and clothing accessories

    • Footwear

    • Technology and Machinery

    • Waste management, reuse and repair

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The study provides a practical regulatory blueprint to shift second-hand textile trade from “waste displacement” toward value‑preserving circularity. It identifies key challenges faced by countries, including inconsistent definitions, quality concerns, limited traceability, and the risk of trade measures creating unintended barriers. It proposes WTO‑consistent design options, including clear distinctions between waste and re‑wearable textiles, mandatory pre‑export sorting supported by verifiable data, and digital documentation aligned with emerging standards and due diligence frameworks. It also highlights enabling conditions already in place, from EU waste shipment rules and eco-design and Digital Product Passport requirements to advances in automated sorting and growing momentum in global trade and environmental policy.

Poster showing clothes arranged in a recycling symbol with text on circular trade and second-hand clothing.
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By offering practical guidance to both exporting and importing countries, the report highlights pathways to align trade governance with circular economy goals and improve environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Launched on 10 February 2026 at a dedicated side session of the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector, the study complements earlier findings by moving from diagnosis to actionable policy design, supporting strengthened cooperation between trading partners and more sustainable second-hand clothing value chains. 

The study was produced with financial support from the EU Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), under the UNECE project on Enhancing Transparency and Traceability of Value Chains in Strategic Sectors, and with technical support from ECLAC.

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