Legislation & Regulations

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China expands list of restricted scrap grades

The People’s Republic of China has announced that eight types of scrap metal will move from its “Catalogue of Solid Waste Not Restricted to Import as Raw Materials” list to its “Catalogue of Solid Waste Restricted to Import as Raw Materials” list. According to a news release issued by the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the items will be moved to the restricted list beginning July 1, 2019.

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Commerce, National Development & Reform Commission and General Administration of Customs made the decision. The following items will be moved to the restricted list (per the terminology of China’s government):

• waste and scrap cast iron;
• waste and scrap alloy steel – other;
• waste and scrap of tinned iron or steel;
• waste and scrap iron and steel from machining (turnings, shavings, chips, millings waste, sawdust, filings, trimmings and stampings);
• waste and scrap iron or steel – other;
• remelting scrap ingots of iron or steel;
• copper waste and scrap – other; and
• aluminum waste and scrap – other.

BIR announced in April 2018 that China intended to enact import prohibitions for 32 types of recyclable materials starting in December 2018. Sixteen additional types of scrap—including stainless steel scrap, titanium scrap and scrap wood—were banned Dec. 31.