This story has been corrected.
The U.S. and China have fired their latest salvo in their ongoing trade war, and this time tariffs have been applied to a number of additional U.S. recyclables.
Governments in Southeast Asia are following through on promises to heavily restrict scrap imports. Meanwhile, a U.S. senator has singled out a shuttered West Coast paper mill as a possible outlet for recovered fiber.
To keep up with the top export destinations for U.S.-sourced recyclables, Resource Recycling examined the latest shipping data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
This story has been updated.
The Chinese government plans to levy a 25 percent tariff on U.S. shipments of OCC and other recovered fiber, as well as scrap plastic, in retaliation for the latest U.S. tariff proposals.
Casella Waste Systems and Advanced Disposal each saw recycling revenues fall over 40 percent in the second quarter, financial filings show.
Export market shifts are slashing into recycling revenues for Waste Management and others, with poor fiber prices cutting one company’s recycling revenues in half.
The Malaysian and Vietnamese governments have followed through on plans to clamp down on recycled material shipments. Both countries have stopped issuing new import permits for certain materials.