News: Import ban of solid wastes in China from 1 January 2021

The Standard Club published a circular on 12 August 2020 on the new revised People’s Republic of China (PRC) Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes effective 1 September 2020. In order to implement the amendment to this law, the Chinese government announced a complete ban of import of solid wastes from 1 January 2021.

'Solid waste' refers to the solid, semi solid and gaseous articles and substances placed in containers that have lost their original usage value or have not lost their usage value but have been abandoned, as well as articles and substances included in the management of solid waste according to laws and administrative regulations, but it excludes the waste which is not harmful to public health and ecological safety after harmless processing, and meets the mandatory national product quality standards, or is not identified as solid waste according to the solid waste identification standards and procedures.

The circular issued by the club’s local correspondent confirms that garbage or solid wastes generated during the ship's normal operation is not regarded as imported waste, and that these regulations will not affect the disposal of ship’s garbage and solid sludge (operational waste) to contractors in Chinese ports.

Any violation of the provisions of this law, may result in a fine of around CNY 500,000 - 5,000,000. Additionally, the carrier and the importer will be liable for the return and disposal of the solid waste.

For further details, members are recommended to refer to the attached circular issued by OASIS P&I Services.​

类别: Loss Prevention