China’s port in Sanshan turns away scrap metal shipments

The Port of Sanshan in China’s Guangdong province has stopped accepting scrap metal shipments after an excessive build up of stockpiles caused by importers racing to bring cargoes ahead of new rules starting the first week of July, according to a report from Reuters. 

China plans to restrict the imports of eight types of scrap metal, including high-grade copper scrap, starting July 1 in a crackdown on foreign solid waste, Reuters reports. Since scrap stockpiles at the Sanshan port have grown too large, customs decided to move up the deadline for scrap cargoes to arrive at Sanshan from June 29 to June 26, according to a notice from the Sanshan port authority sent to customers, Reuters reports. Shipments arriving June 27 and later will not be accepted.

According to Reuters, it is not clear when shipments to the Sanshan port will resume. Firms that have received quotas from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment will still be allowed to import the soon-to-be-restricted metal after July 1, but no quotas have been issued for Guangdong.