Operation Green Fence and other factors have contributed to a decreased flow of red metal scrap from the United States to China in 2013, but at least one metals producer is vowing to increase its future purchases.

In a presentation at the 2013 Annual Convention of the CMRA (China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association Recycling Metal Branch), Jin Xiaoguang, Deputy General Manager of China Minmetals Non-ferrous Metals Co. Ltd., said the company plans to ramp up its consumption of copper scrap to 200,000 metric tons per year by 2015.

Jin said it was part of the company’s wider effort to develop its recycling capabilities. “To access new materials we have shifted our attention to recyclable metal,” he commented. “Every year we are increasing our purchases of copper scrap by 100 percent,” he added, noting that Minmetals now has purchasing offices in Macao and Los Angeles.

The nonferrous metals production company executive said the growing secondary nonferrous metals industry in China “has made brilliant achievements, with significant progress.”

Jin said Beijing-based Minmetals, which has 17,700 employees and annual revenue of RMB325 billion ($53.3 billion), is taking steps to meet Chinese government policy goals tied to the “circular economy” and other resource conservation and preservation measures.

He also called on governments around the world to regulate scrap materials accordingly. “Scrap should not be regarded as garbage, but as resources,” Jin commented.

Within China, Jin urged greater investments in processing and smelting technology and in “standardization of how companies do business.” Chinese firms, he commented, “need to compete globally with international competitors.”

The 2013 Annual Convention of the CMRA was Nov. 6-9 at the Chongqing International Convention & Exhibition Center in Chongqing, China.