Steven Bethell, co-founder of vintage chain Beyond Retro, has issued an open letter to the UK Government calling for immediate action to address the devastating impact of the de minimis rule that allows ultra-fast fashion companies to flood the UK market with untaxed, unregulated and unsustainable clothing. 

Bethell expresses deep concern over the deluge of ultra-cheap garments being shipped directly to UK consumers via post, often without paying import duties, VAT, or business rates. These products, he warns, do not meet UK quality or safety standards and are undermining legitimate, tax-paying businesses as well as the country’s long-established charity retail sector.

“We are keen to compete, but it has to be on a level playing field,” he writes. “Those of us who are paying taxes, following the rules and investing in sustainable fashion innovation are being placed at a clear disadvantage.”

He highlights the knock-on effects across the entire fashion ecosystem, from small businesses to charitable organisations that rely on second-hand clothing sales to fund critical community support.

“So many amazing charities across the UK raise funds through second-hand clothing,” he continues. “As ultra-cheap fashion floods the market, these charities are being pushed out and with them, the essential social programmes they sustain.”

Beyond the economic and social harm, Bethell draws attention to the hypocrisy and misinformation being spread by some ultra-fast fashion companies who are funding campaigns designed to discredit the global second-hand clothing trade.  

“It is shocking that companies who avoid paying taxes are now financing multi-million dollar lobbying efforts disguised as charity to undermine the circular economy,” he writes. “They are hurting businesses, hurting charities, and hurting the very people those charities exist to help.”

The open letter calls on the UK Government to re-evaluate the de minimis import rule to ensure fair taxation and compliance, enforce product testing and standards for all imported apparel and protect the UK’s circular and charity-based fashion economy from predatory ultra-fast fashion practices.

“This is not just about fairness in trade. It’s about the integrity of our fashion system, the survival of our charities and the future of a circular economy built on responsibility and reuse.”

Bank & Vogue, the parent company behind Beyond Retro, is one of the largest traders in pre-used textiles in the world. With headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, and an office in London, UK, its remanufacturing facility is located in the Special Economic Zone of Gujurat, India, and using in-house processes and analytical capabilities is currently processing and digitising thousands of garments per month for ecommerce.

www.beyondretro.com