Sri Lanka restricts scrap metal exports

The government of Sri Lanka reportedly has banned the export of ferrous scrap and several types of nonferrous scrap, including copper, brass, aluminum and stainless steel.

A Nov. 15 online report on the Colombo, Sri Lanka-based EconomyNext website says such exports could still occur following “a recommendation of the Industrial Development Board and ‘other related agencies,’” according to the Sri Lankan government information office.

The website says such regulations and licensing are subject to criticism in the nation as “generally paving the way for corruption,” but the current government says the metals are needed to boost domestic manufacturing.

Sri Lanka has not sold or bought enough ferrous, aluminum or copper scrap in 2020 to show up in data gathered by the United States Department of Commerce and published by the United States Geological Survey.

The Washington-based World Bank lists Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners as including the European Union, the United States, India, China, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.