International Trade Council:

Concerns regarding the ramifications of growing interest in access to raw materials

The breadth of issues addressed recently by BIR’s International Trade Council (ITC) was made apparent at its latest meeting in Istanbul. In its bid to champion free movement of the recycling industry’s vital secondary raw materials, the council had been in active discussion concerning a large number of countries including China, India, Turkey, South Africa, Russia, Kenya and Tanzania, explained ITC Chairman Robert Voss of Voss International in the UK.

The ITC had successes to report, including playing its part in stopping a South African ban on aluminium scrap exports; however, the recycling industry in general still faced many challenges, Mr Voss made clear. He expressed “extreme” concern, for example, at the growing interest in access to raw materials, adding that the EU and the OECD were carrying out studies of this subject which, it was feared, could eventually lead to some hindrance to the free movement of recyclables.

The ITC meeting in Istanbul was held on the very day that China implemented its Notice 21 control designed to eliminate under-declaration of consignment values by demanding the individual packaging of each item contained in a mixed load. According to BIR’s Ambassador for China David Chiao of the Uni-All Group, there had been indications that the authorities would regard Zorba as a single item so long as the proportion of other materials did not exceed 2% by weight. For mixed irony aluminium, a detailed analysis of the contents appeared likely to be required.

Latest information on Notice 21 enforcement practices would be communicated to BIR members via the organisation’s website, Mr Voss pointed out.

Mr Chiao also explained that the AQSIQ registration renewal process would begin on July 1 this year for overseas suppliers whose licences were scheduled to expire on December 31 2010. Certification to ISO 9001, RIOS or an equivalent quality assurance standard would be required for first-time applicants for an AQSIQ licence, it was emphasised.

On another current issue, it was explained by Mr Voss that Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Trade had introduced new provisions on May 21 this year for exports of copper scrap, including requirements to prove an overseas sales connection and to obtain written confirmation from three consumers in Turkey that the material for export was not suitable for their needs. This “very restrictive procedure” was being taken up with the EU and the Turkish government, delegates learned.

BIR’s Ambassador for the Indian Sub-continent Ikbal Nathani of the Nathani Group of Companies highlighted the key role of recycling industry representatives in convincing the Indian government to overturn its classification of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap as “hazardous”. Mr Nathani urged government officials to resolve the duplication of paperwork demanded of the country’s scrap importers; and on a separate issue, he called for the installation of radiation detection equipment to be made compulsory for India’s steel mills and non-ferrous metals consumers.

Also present in Istanbul was Ms Shubhra, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in India, who praised the “dedicated people” working in the scrap industry and promised to expedite the approval of those pre-shipment inspection agencies found to comply with the necessary criteria.

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