China’s Restrictions on Waste Imports Could Lead to U.S. Job Growth

The U.S. recycling industry has been expressing its concerns over China’s waste import ban and contamination standard for months, and in response, China’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Notification and Enquiry Center, an office of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), has submitted a new letter highlighting the potential benefits for the U.S.

In the letter, which was shared by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the center states that the 0.5 percent contamination standard is realistic, China has modified some of the policy changes due to concerns from affected stakeholders and that the new restrictions will help spur economic development within the U.S.

Resource Recycling has more information:

Chinese officials have responded to concerns from other nations about recent import restrictions. The Chinese comments directly address the “waste versus scrap” debate as well as global economic repercussions of National Sword.  

The country’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Notification and Enquiry Center, an office of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), responded this month to comments from several WTO members and industry stakeholders. China’s note was shared by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).

Some of the concerns raised by U.S. recycling stakeholders over the past year have expressed frustration that Chinese regulators do not understand the impact of the policies they are enacting, and do not understand that imports of scrap material have value. But the new response offers evidence to the contrary.

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