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The
China Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Bureau, which is part
of the ministry, published import allowances for 270,885 tonnes
of high-grade copper scrap and 275,465 tonnes of aluminum scrap
in the first batch of quotas for use next year.
By the end of 2020, China aims to have a system in place to
ensure there are no more imports of scrap metal classified as
waste.
The quotas are being closely tracked by traders amid concerns
top metals consumer China, which tightened restrictions on scrap
metal imports for environmental reasons from July, is leaving
itself short of a key source of supplies.
China now classes scrap metal as a solid waste. But changes will
be introduced by the second quarter of 2020 at the latest, so
high-grade copper and aluminum scrap meeting new standards will
no longer be classed as waste and can be imported in unlimited
amounts.
But, for now, companies will need to secure quota allowances
from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to import scrap.
The initial 2020 copper scrap and aluminum scrap import quotas,
which have mainly been awarded to companies in the major
recycling hubs of Zhejiang and Guangdong, are the largest batch
issued by the ministry since June.
Tighter restrictions came into force on July 1.
The quotas issued since June for use in 2019 totaled more than
560,000 tonnes of copper scrap and almost 474,000 tonnes of
aluminum scrap, according to Reuters calculations.
(Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Edmund Blair)
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