Reuters | December 31, 2020

By Min Zhang and Tom Daly; Editing by David Goodman)/ Mining.com

China will allow imports of new-standard scrap – or recycled steel raw materials – from Jan. 1, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said on Thursday, meaning such material will not be subject to a ban on solid waste imports.

China has imported very little steel scrap, an iron ore substitute that can be remelted to make steel, in 2020 amid tight restrictions on solid waste inflows.

An official from a steel scrap association said in March that they had started to draft new standards that will reclassify high-grade scrap as a resource to be allowed to enter the country.

The formulation of such national standards normally takes several years. Similar standards for copper and aluminum scrap were published in January, but imports were not allowed until November.

However, in a year in which iron ore prices have surged by more than 50%, the industry managed to lobby for a faster than expected launch.