Five members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have questioned China’s import ban on solid waste, particularly for certain scrap materials, which could have a negative impact on the global textile recycling progress.
The US, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Korea have all sought more information on which types of materials would be affected, with some noting the issue was of great interest to their business sectors.
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In July, China notified the WTO it will stop accepting shipments of rubbish such as waste plastic, paper, and textiles as part of a campaign against “foreign garbage.” The import ban is expected to enter into force by the end of 2017 and will cover a number of types of waste wool, cotton and yarn.
China waste ban could hit global textile recycling
But while the Chinese government says the proposed ban will stop scrap textile waste from polluting the environment, the US-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) says it will damage the recycling potential of the textile industry and ultimately lead to more waste.
The US has asked whether China is planning to extend the measure to cover ferrous and non-ferrous scrap and, if so, when this would be implemented and under what procedures. In addition, the US requested China to adhere to notification obligations, particularly for ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, noting that this constituted a multi-billion market for US stakeholders.
In 2016, China accounted for 27% of global scrap imports. And with more than $5.2bn in scrap commodities exported from the US to China last year alone, the trade in specification-grade commodities between the two countries is of “critical importance” to the health and success of the US-based recycling industry and China’s manufacturing sector, the ISRI says. It is requesting a revision of the policy as well as clarification of the ban’s scope.
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