China ban on recycled material is likely to take place by the end of 2020, a source has said.
The person involved in the Chinese market told REB Market Intelligence that the expectation among market participants and Chinese trade associations, is that paper and metal imports will gradually be wound down to zero by the beginning of 2021.
While the Chinese Government has not yet confirmed its intentions, the publication of a draft law recently said that it would ban all imports of solid waste. However, a date was not given for this.
The source said that the market expects quotas for currently permitted material to be reduced by 30% in 2019, then by a further 30% compared to current quotas in 2020 before import of these materials being banned at the end of that year.
China has already banned most recycled plastic and mixed paper imports.
