China bans import of 16 more sources of scrap metal

A posting on the website of the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment identified the following 16 categories of waste that will be banned from imports at the end of 2019. This list includes, among others, scrap stainless steel, titanium, zinc and magnesium.

The Chinese Ministry has announced a ban on the import of sources of scrap metal into China, such as ships, molded bodies and electrical cables.

At a press conference, Ministry of the Environment spokesman Liu Yubin said the authorities' decision is a "key step" in ensuring a safe environment and protecting public health. He noted that his department will work with other agencies to "enforce" the ban in good faith and "stop the influx of other people's garbage."

China began importing large volumes of waste in the 1980s, when a fast-growing industry was in dire need of raw materials. Since then, the country has developed into the world's largest importer of recyclable materials. However, their processing has been recognized as an important cause of environmental pollution and health problems, and last year Beijing announced its intention to phase out these imports.

Since the end of last year, 24 categories of waste have been banned from shipping to China, including some plastic and unsorted waste paper. The ban has caused difficulties in parts of the world, such as Hong Kong, where, according to the agency in January, "huge piles of old newspapers, cardboard and office waste" have been collected.

In 2017, before the ban came into force, the Chinese authorities received licenses to import waste to 960 companies and closed another 8.8 thousand enterprises due to violations of regulations on paper and plastic waste. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the total volume of waste imports decreased by 12% last year.

On the other hand, Chinese customs reported that 110,000 tons of waste smuggled into the country were seized in the first quarter of this year.