In NYC, Photo elnuevodiario.com.do
NEW YORK.- The owners of numerous shipping companies are fuming at the Customs Agency’s ban of the shipment of used clothing to Dominican Republic starting August 1, a practice which immigrants have done since the mid-60s when locals began a massive emigration to the U.S..
Several shippers and moving and storage companies totally opposed the ban because in their view relatives back home welcomed the garments, some of which end up in "medium use" shops and the hundreds of flea markets nationwide.
Quoted by elnuevodiario.com.do, Charles Canaan, president of the shipper Salcedo Cargo Express, said thousands of 55 gallon drums, boxes and luggage containing clothing, shoes, tennis shoes, household items such as appliances and furniture are also sent by the Diaspora, helping the country's economic stability.
According to customs officials the notices were sent to companies on the enforcement of the ban based on a law dating back 39 years, but had been considered "dead" by shippers established in New York and other U.S. cities.
The ban will also affect the multimillion dollar business of the “pacas,” the garments commonly brought across the border with Haiti in huge bundles.
Written by: Atabey, 1 Aug 2012 9:46 AM
From: United States, NYC
There goes Josean's business plan down the tube.
From: Cuba, La Havana, Que Viva La Revolucion
They Cant do THAT...
WTF
The used american clothes are 100 times better than any NEW rag that you can buy in the Dominican Republic.
This will not FLY.............wait and see
Written by: bernies, 1 Aug 2012 10:03 AM
From: United States, key west fl
I will have to agreed with this new law because it make no sense to me all those used cloths that are being sold here coming from Haiti when those cloths were sent to Haiti for the Haitians people but instead of giving it to its people it being sent to the DR for other people to profit from it. Haiti gets a lot humanitarian aids but instead of staying on that poor nation it gets commercialize in the Dominican Republic something inmoral.
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
So what are the poor people going to wear?
A 20 peso "poloche" from la pulga, or a 100 peso chinese rag that won't make it once in the washing machine?
Let thme all wear barrels, like Diogenes...
Written by: anthonyC, 1 Aug 2012 11:00 AM
From: United States
bernies,
So just because you don't like it then everyone else should be prevented by force not to as well?
From: Cuba, La Havana, Que Viva La Revolucion
WalterPolo 5 *****s
Agree with you 100%
From: Dominican Republic
@ elBuscoon and WaterPolo you are both 100% right. I am a 6'5" 250 lb American who 4 years ago would never buy used clothes. My wife started buying me used clothes and I protested and refused to wear them, but now they are the only ones worth a rip. The others are just plain sh*t. Or they only have midget size. Double WTF. Total horse shit.
From: United States, Dominican Republic
What a shame. A law that has been broken for over 39 years, now, when things are tough everywhere, they want to enforce it NOW? The "Idiot Braino" that decided to change things, should, at least, lose his job! DR taxes the crap out of us when we send stuff over there.
From: Dominican Republic
@ 5borometro you are right about taxing the shit out of things. I pay incredible taxes to receive things here. I do not understand the logic? What cancel out the tax on used clothing so you can tax new clothing, that the majority of people cannot afford, at a higher rate. Another Dominican brainiac at work. I hate to say it, but just another example of a product of the broken Dominican education system. And as many have said, now,, when the entire world economy is in the crapper. Incredible.
Written by: zooma, 1 Aug 2012 2:21 PM
From: United States
The truth be known the poor cannot afford clothing new or used. They are more concerned where their next meal is coming from. They rely on donated clothing and the humanitarian organizations that provide them what they cannot buy.
This law is part of an agenda by big business and its buddies in the government to corner the clothing market to make a killing. The public be damned.
From: Dominican Republic
The inbred and ingrained corruption in this country never ceases to amaze me.
Written by: DaveB, 1 Aug 2012 4:24 PM
From: United States
You guys need to pay attention. For decades, humanitarian aid from the united states has been taken by the authorities and sold on the market. Why allow this kind of thing to be shipped off and sold for profit through a welfare point like Haiti, instead of having used clothing donated to people that don't have any. That is what motivated this new enforcement of an old law. I support the idea of recycling good used clothing, but seeing charity donations get scammed makes some government react in an extreme manner. If you all have some better method, contact your elected representatives.
From: Dominican Republic
Daveb, You are the one that needs to pay attention. I am an American who has lived here for 5 years, the amount of government fraud that occurs at every level here is off the charts. More than any of the other 38 3rd world countries that I have lived in. This place has so much inbred corruption that it would not matter if you called the president. The fact of the matter is that Aduanas and its corrupt officials are aware of how many containers are sitting on the docks in the US. This is their warning that they need to be greased. Do you really think that after 30 years of never enforcing this law that this place, which is LAWLESS, is actually going to start enforcing this law. Nope. This is just a way for the Aduanas upper echelon to skim some more off the top. If you do not live here there is no way you could understand the depth of corruption that exists here.
Written by: DaveB, 2 Aug 2012 12:12 AM
From: United States
bballs; Show me anywhere in this article where the law is clearly stated as Dominican import rather than US export law. Since you want to be snippy about it, that is how I based my comment. You really need to brag about moving from slum to slum your entire life?
From: Dominican Republic
DaveB you fool, do you really think that the US gives a rip about whatever plus or minus they show in the import/export of "second hand clothing." In fact, I am sure there is some kind of donation credit that could be applied. And as for you insisting that I am "bragging for moving from slum to slum", it is, my ignorant friend, called broadening your perspectives and educating yourself about the world we live in. But, of course you sound like the typical ignorant and arrogant American that all of us who travel the world, are faced with trying to debunk in order to broaden our perspectives. Then again why would that matter, even if you are not an American by birth you have, no less, attained the status of the "ugly American". Thanks for advertising it so clearly in your statement describing me as, "moving from slum to slum". How the hell would you know what I am doing, by reading one post? I could be working for a world wide humanitarian aid group.
Written by: Vivacuba, 2 Aug 2012 5:25 AM
From: Dominican Republic
This is america. They can do anything they want
From: Dominican Republic
My point simply was, and the majority of the people living here would agree with me, that this latest renewal and enforcement of a previously unenforced archaic law, is simply some politician's or official's newest found way to fleece the system and the people.
Written by: judidr, 2 Aug 2012 8:42 AM
From: Canada
There has for many years been an over flow of clothing in Haiti, even with what's ends up in the DR there are storage areas in Haiti where clothing rots.Haitians do not need clothing,In my 26 years living in the DR I have never heard the cry of nothing to wear in Haiti!
From: United States, Miami, FL
Based on another article I read, this law is only to be applied to shippers that send used clothing for commercial purposes. Based on the DR aduanas clarification this does not apply to family's sending boxes to their loved ones.
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There goes Josean's business plan down the tube.
They Cant do THAT...
WTF
The used american clothes are 100 times better than any NEW rag that you can buy in the Dominican Republic.
This will not FLY.............wait and see
A 20 peso "poloche" from la pulga, or a 100 peso chinese rag that won't make it once in the washing machine?
Let thme all wear barrels, like Diogenes...
So just because you don't like it then everyone else should be prevented by force not to as well?
WalterPolo 5 *****s
Agree with you 100%
The truth be known the poor cannot afford clothing new or used. They are more concerned where their next meal is coming from. They rely on donated clothing and the humanitarian organizations that provide them what they cannot buy.
This law is part of an agenda by big business and its buddies in the government to corner the clothing market to make a killing. The public be damned.