China

The General Administration of Customs of China has updated the “Catalogue of Designated Ports of Entry for Solid Waste Imports.”

Xinhua reported this week on a wide-ranging policy statement by the Central Committee of China's Communist Party that was released on June 16 and that outlines the Chinese government's overall strategy for reducing pollution across the country.

China’s General Administration of Customs this week released guidance for third party inspection agencies to apply for a license by the Chinese Government to conduct pre-shipment inspections for scrap prepared for the Chinese market.

ISRI received information that the Chinese Government will allow CCIC's Canadian operations to temporarily undertake pre-shipment inspections and issue certificates for U.S. scrap shipments bound for China.

ISRI has learned that China will accept imports of recycled PET plastics in flake form according to a specification the government laid out.

ISRI learned that the U.S. operations of CCIC North America have been suspended for one month, effective May 4 through June 4. As a result no inspections can be arranged or certificates issued during this period.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) released the following statement in response to the Chinese Government's announcement that more recyclable materials will be prohibited for import over the course of the next two years:

ISRI Discusses Chinese Scrap Trade Policies with Xinhua News

ISRI is disappointed to learn that the Chinese Government finalized its Environmental Protection Control Standards with the contaminants thresholds that our industry will have difficulty achieving.

Last week, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) issued new guidelines for exporters and suppliers seeking to apply for export permits to ship scrap to China.