China Set to Begin Registration Requirements

The Chinese government is planning on beginning its registration requirement for companies looking to ship scrap metal to the country by July 1. While there is uncertainty over whether or not the country will push back the start date,

According to various sources, companies that do not file the required documentation by the deadline will have to wait for several more years before the next time period for filing the paperwork.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, in a letter sent to its members, noted that at the present time there is some uncertainty over whether the deadline will be pushed back from next month to a later date. However, at the present time there is a fair amount of uncertainty over dates and requirements.

The association is working with the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC to encourage AQSIQ to extend this deadline and clear up some of the other issues addressed in this email.

A similar tack is being taken by the Bureau of International Recycling, a European-based scrap recycling association.

In a letter that organization sent out this week, Francis Veys, director general for the BIR, expressed concern that there was too much ambiguity over the registration procedure, as well as the absence of an English translation for some of the announcements.

According to the letter, BIR claimed that few companies would be able to meet the registration deadline, especially since the application procedure had only been released May 8.

In conclusion, Veys has urged the AQSIS to move the registration deadline from July 1 to Oct. 1, 2004.