No plans to ban import of used clothes: Govt

NEW DELHI: Government today said it is not considering imposing ban on imports of used clothes.

Under the Customs Tariff Act 2012-13, worn clothing and other worn articles attracts a standard rate of import duty of 10 per cent, Minister of State for Textile Panabaaka Lakshmi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

She said import duty protects domestic industry from losses.

"Government has not considered imposing a ban on import of worn clothes," she said.

In a separate reply, she said textile exports declined by 7.5 per cent during April-January 2013 due to slowdown in the US and European Union.