jan 8 – China’s top environmental watchdog has completed its examination over the standards on recyclable copper and aluminium scrap, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

MEE spokesman Liu Youbin said in late December in a press briefing that review over the standards on recyclable copper, brass, aluminium alloy casting raw materials, drafted by the National Nonferrous Metal Standardisation Technical Committee has come to an end.

These standards are the long-anticipated “reclassification” of scrap to replace the so-called “solid waste”, imports of which are set to be completely banned by the end of 2020.

Foreign copper and aluminium scrap that meet these standards will be allowed to enter China without restrictions.

The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CMRA) Recycling Metal Branch said in November that the standards on recyclable copper, brass, aluminium alloy casting raw materials would come into force at the start of 2020 at the earliest or before Q2 at the latest.