China

The Recycling Materials Association today submitted comments to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in response to notifications made by the Government of China on November 15 regarding proposed scrap import standards.

The Chinese government has notified the World Trade Organization of its intent to adopt new standards for the allowable contaminants thresholds for scrap imports. The new threshold proposal would apply beginning March 1, 2018.

The Chinese Government has released its draft revised “GB 16487” Environmental Protection Control Standards for Imported Solid Wastes as Raw Materials, seeking comments from selected industry groups before the rules become effective by the end of the year.

In a detailed policy announcement on July 27, the Chinese government outlined its goals for tying import restrictions to improving domestic "recovery and reuse of domestic solid waste."

Following on its notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Government of China officially announced on July 21, 2017, it has "banned the importation of 24 categories of solid waste such as waste plastics, unsorted waste paper, waste raw textile materials, and vanadium slag that pose very high risk of environmental pollution."

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017, China notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its intent to ban the import of certain scrap materials by year end. Among the items included on the list are most scrap plastics ("including polymers of ethylene, styrene, vinyl chloride and PET..."), mixed paper and slags and drosses.

China's Xinhua News Agency reported on February 8, 2017 that China's General Administration of Customs would launch a one-year campaign to crack down on illegal smuggling of "foreign waste," including industrial waste, electronic waste, household waste and plastic waste, according to the report.