Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has expressed serious concerns over news of China’s intention to implement an import ban on a number of scrap materials, including certain types of scrap plastics, mixed paper, slags and drosses, waste wool, ash, cotton and yarn. On July 18, China notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that it will stop accepting certain imports of wastes by the end of 2017, as part of its National Sword campaign.
BIR Director General, Arnaud Brunet, states, “While BIR and its members support and promote high quality standards for scrap exports, this ban, if implemented, will have a serious impact on the global recycling industry which has, in the last 25 years, supported China in its economic development and growth and met its manufacturing needs for secondary raw materials. International scrap trade flows to China amount to tens of billions of US Dollars’ worth of goods which are needed by the domestic Chinese industry for production.”
Last year, China imported 7.3 million tons of plastic scrap, worth billions of USD, mainly coming from Europe, Japan and USA. The same countries are also the main sources of scrap paper going to China each year. Regarding recovered paper, China imported 27 million tons from all supplying regions of the world of which 25 to 30% was mixed paper. A ban may result in a large amount of those mixed papers ending up out of the circular economy stream. BIR intends to demonstrate, by engaging with the stakeholders and the Chinese Government, the devastating impact that such a ban would have on the global recycling industry and beyond the Chinese and global economy.
In that regard, Brunet has addressed an official letter to the World Trade Organisation via the European Commission to request an extension of the deadline for comments in the aforementioned matter so that all stakeholders are given the opportunity to put forward their concerns. The letter, which was sent to the EU Commission’s DG GROW, states, “BIR has been made aware that China has notified the WTO of its intent to ban the import of certain scrap materials by year end (Notification G/TBT/N/CHN/1211). BIR, representing the interests of the recycling Industry at a global level, is respectfully presenting its comments about this notification to the WTO and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
Furthermore, BIR points out the serious impact such a ban would have on the global recycling industry as well as on the Chinese domestic production relying on recycled materials. Via its communication to WTO, BIR calls upon the Chinese government to reconsider its ban policies and offers to further discuss ways of ensuring high quality standards without adversely affecting the global recycling industry and the Chinese economy. The letter concludes with the suggestion that BIR closely work with WTO and its working committees to promote free and fair trade globally.
