China aims to put waste smugglers to the legislative ‘Sword’

Asia – China’s customs and excise department will launch a one-year campaign under the banner ‘National Sword 2017’ to crack down on smuggling. This will focus on ‘foreign waste’ as well as agricultural products, resource products, tax-related goods, drugs, guns and other illegal smuggling activities, according to a report carried by the Xinhua news agency and relayed to its members by the BIR world recycling organisation.

The ‘foreign waste’ smuggling activities of concern to the Chinese authorities cover, for example, industrial, electronic, household and plastic waste. As part of this clampdown, Chinese customs officials will strengthen their co-operation with all local authorities as well as with relevant government departments and industry associations.

In November last year, BIR addressed the EU-China Working Group aimed at tackling the illicit trade in waste – a gathering attended by, among others, the European Commission, the General Administration of China Customs and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

The world recycling organisation used the opportunity to voice its support for the even-handed implementation and enforcement of laws.