 RESTRICTED  
  
G/C/W/790  
 
15 March 2021  
(21-2112) Page: 1/1 
Council for Trade in Goods  Original: English  
 
 
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
QUESTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CHINA: MEASURES RESTRICTING  
THE IMPORT OF SCRAP MATERIALS  
The following communication, dated 12  March  2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States.  
 
_______________  
 
 
The United States would like to raise concerns with the lack of clarity and transparency around the 
implementation of the ban on the import of solid waste under the Law of the People's Republic of 
China on the Prevention a nd Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste. As we have indicated 
before in the CTG and in other bodies, these policy measures seem to contradict China's own 
pro-circular economy narrative that it is promoting in the WTO as well as internationally . China is 
the world's largest processor of scrap materials, and these measures hinder China's aspirations to 
transition to a more resource -efficient, global, and circular economy by directly affecting global 
recycling networks. We understand that certain recyclable scrap materials such as bundled recycled 
newspaper have been banned, whereas other more processed scrap materials such as pulped paper 
and "smelter ready" metals are allowed under "recycled raw materials".  
 
• Can China please explain the scienti fic basis it used to determine which categories of 
scrap materials are eligible for importation and which are not?  
 
• Will China be developing a written regulation for importation, including what is 
"contaminated" or "clean" and what materials are allowed for importation? If yes, when?  
 
• Will China be notifying to the WTO its standards that it has implemented for the 
importation of recycled raw materials? If yes, when?  
 
• Can China please explain how these policies are consistent with China's pro -circular 
economy narrative, given that China appears to include recyclable materials within the 
scope of "solid waste"?  
 
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