An initiative by the Basel Action Network helped stop illegal e-scrap imports in Southeast Asia, the organization said. | Photo by EARTH Thailand / Provided courtesy of BAN
Officials in Malaysia and Thailand seized containers with hundreds of tons of e-scrap illegally imported from the United States earlier this month after tips from the U.S. nonprofit Basel Action Network. Continue Reading
Recovered material imports, like the 1 million tons of recovered fiber the U.S. brought in from Canada last year, appear to be tariff-exempt under a new executive order. | John New/Shutterstock
The U.S. tariff whirlwind continues this month: Many imports from Canada and Mexico, including those of recycled materials, had their tariffs suspended two days after they took effect last week, while previously announced tariffs on aluminum and steel from all countries took effect Wednesday.
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The tariffs threaten to raise costs to import end-of-life batteries, circuit boards and mixed e-scrap from Canada and Mexico. | priscilla list/Shutterstock
March 7 update: Some of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6. The orders exempt goods that enter the U.S. under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which would appear to exempt recycled materials, but it’s not entirely clear. Canada’s first round of retaliatory tariffs appears to remain in effect.
The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect this week. Some tariffs on Mexican imports were paused for another month on March 6. Meanwhile, Canada’s proposed response includes tariffs on U.S. exports of recycled materials. Continue Reading
If critical minerals become harder to source, the recycling industry could draw greater attention as a supply line. | Cybrain/Shutterstock
As trade strife between the U.S. and China heats up once again, the Chinese government has restricted exports of some key metals alongside retaliatory tariffs. Given China’s position as the world’s largest supplier of those metals, the move could spur more interest in U.S. recycling. Continue Reading
The 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development were required to report by Jan. 15 on how they’ll interpret the most recent Basel Convention amendment. | Sebastien Coell / ShutterStock
Countries within the OECD have announced how they’ll each enforce new Basel Convention rules. As was foreshadowed by their previous failure to agree on uniform enforcement among all members, there is a fair amount of variance by nation.
After allegations of illegal e-scrap imports, Malaysia’s Department of Environment announced it would improve standard operating procedures and oversight. | Mayday6510/Shutterstock
On the heels of high-profile illegal e-scrap import claims and updates to the Basel Convention, Malaysian officials said they would be tightening operating procedures. Continue Reading
Updates to the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating the trade of various types of end-of-life materials, will come into effect Jan. 1. | Don Bendickson/Shutterstock
With just weeks to go before new e-scrap trading regulations take effect worldwide, companies are feeling cautiously optimistic that trade disruption will be softer than it could have been. Continue Reading
The World Economic Fund has compiled the opinions of five experts on how trade and investment can facilitate circular electronics. | Penofoto/Shutterstock
Coordinated global action is imperative to extend the life of electronics and improve end-of-life treatment, according to five industry experts in a recent World Economic Fund article. Continue Reading
Whistleblowers are invited to report a variety of poor recycling practices in the e-scrap industry. | GaudiLab/Shutterstock
The Basel Action Network this week rolled out a confidential reporting website seeking to make it easier for observers to report poor e-scrap management practices, such as questionable exports of devices and e-plastics, data security lapses and problematic storage or disposal. Continue Reading
Government officials detained 301 containers and found 106 contained e-scrap shipped from Los Angeles. | Peresanz/Shutterstock
The Malaysian government inspected more than 300 shipping containers and found that about one-third contained e-scrap illegally imported from the U.S., officials said during a June 26 press conference in Klang, Malaysia. Continue Reading