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The Chinese government issued a document on December 21st titled:

Notice on Adjusting the Catalogue of Imported Waste Management (“Notice”)

The Notice addresses standards previously issued that are denominated the:

Environmental Protection Control Standards for Imports of Solid Waste as Raw Materials (“GB 1648 16487.2-13”)

China has previously restricted the import of certain scrap materials. Such a development is extremely important to the scrap and recycling industries in the United States and other countries because of China’s significant use of scrap. It has been the largest importer of such materials in the world.

The Notice identifies restrictions on additional metal scrap imports. Such restrictions become effective on July 1, 2019.

The Notice states in part that:

8 varieties of solid waste, such as waste and scrap of iron and steel, copper scrap, aluminum scrap, etc. (see Annex), are adjusted from Catalogue of Solid Waste Non-Restricted to import as raw material to Catalogue of Solid Waste Restricted to import as raw material and it will be effected from July 1st, 2019.

A copy of the Notice can be found here.