Livorno port authorities seize 500 tons of illegal textile waste

Authorities at the port of Livorno have seized 500 tons of textile waste contained in 20 containers that were destined for Malaysia. The shipment, which was declared as cotton scraps and yarns, was intercepted by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) following suspicions regarding inconsistent documentation.

Investigations conducted alongside inspectors from Arpat of Prato revealed that the cargo consisted of untreated waste rather than the ‘secondary raw material’ required for legal export. Physical inspections and X-ray scans showed the bales contained various residues, including plastic, organic matter, and paper. Under current law, textile scraps must undergo selection and sanitization processes to lose their status as waste before they can be exported.

A Chinese entrepreneur, acting as the legal representative of the exporting company, has been reported for illegal possession and cross-border waste trafficking, as well as ideological falsehood in public documents. The investigation suggests the waste was collected from the Prato fashion district and packaged to avoid the high costs of proper disposal and to hide production volumes.