Announcement on Matters Related to the Total Ban on Imports of Solid Waste

The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste was amended and adopted by the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress at its 17th meeting on April 29, 2020, and shall come into force on September 1, 2020. In order to implement the revised content of "The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste" related to solid waste imports management, and to do a good job in related work, the relevant matters are hereby announced as follows.

Article 1 Prohibit the import of solid waste in any form. It is forbidden to dump, stack and dispose of solid waste from outside China.

Article 2 Ministry of Ecology and Environment has stopped accepting and approving applications for import licenses for restricted imported solid waste that can be used as raw materials; the import licenses for restricted imported solid waste that can be used as raw materials that have been issued in 2020 should be used within the validity period in 2020, and invalidated automatically if it exceeds the time limit.

Article 3 Solid waste generated by units in special customs supervision areas and bonded supervision places (including special customs supervision areas like bonded zones and comprehensive bonded zones and bonded supervision places like bonded logistics centers (type A/B), bonded warehouses ) that have not been re-shipped out of the country shall be managed in accordance with related domestic regulations on solid waste. If the storage, utilization or disposal of solid waste should be done outside the areas, it shall go through relevant procedures with the administrative department of the local government in the special customs supervision area and bonded supervision place, and the customs will no longer check the relevant approval documents.

Article 4 The un-reshipped solid waste generated during the bonded maintenance and the production process of the re-manufacturing business units outside the special customs supervision areas and bonded supervision sites shall be implemented with reference to the third article.

This announcement shall take effect from January 1, 2021. "Notice on Strengthening Solid Waste Import Management and Sharing Information of Law Enforcement " (General Office of Ministry of Ecology and Environment (No. 141, 2011) by former Ministry of Environmental Protection, General Administration of  Customs of China, former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine; Announcement No. 69 of 2015 by former Ministry of Environmental Protection, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs of China, former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine; Announcement No. 39 of 2017 by former Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission, General Administration of Customs of China,, former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine；Announcement No. 6 of 2018 by Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission and the General Administration of Customs of China, and Announcement No. 68 of 2018 by Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission, and General Administration of Customs of China shall be repealed simultaneously.

This announcement is hereby made.

Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China

Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

National Development and Reform Commission

General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)

November 24, 2020