China Issues Copper and Aluminum Scrap Import Quotas for Q1 of 2020
China's Environment Ministry’s Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center China has approved a quota of 546,350 tonnes of aluminium and copper scrap import in the first quarter of 2020. Quotas for aluminium scrap, under harmonized tariff code 7602000090, were issued for 275,465 tonnes, while the quota for copper scrap, tariff code 7404000090, totaled 270,885 tonnes. The initial 2020 copper scrap import quotas were awarded to 108 companies, with nearly 95% of the total quotas allocated to firms in the major recycling hubs of Zhejiang and Guangdong. The copper scrap quota is for delivery to the ports of Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Nanhai, Nansha, Xinhui and Qingdao, while the aluminium scrap quota is for delivery to ports in Taicang, Ningbo, Nanhai and Nansha.
China is the world's largest copper and aluminium scrap buyer but the import volume has been heavily reduced by the Chinese government since Beijing implemented a licensed quota-based import system from 1 July.
China imported 5.32 million tonnes of scrap last year, with copper accounting for 45% or 2.41 million tonne, aluminium 1.57 million tonnes and ferrous 1.34 million tonnes.
Source : Strategic Research Institute