United States – Nearly 25% of all US e-scrap handlers directly engage in exporting activity while more than 40% are ‘reasonably certain’ that some portion of the material is exported by another party at a later stage, a new study by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has revealed.
The USA is the world’s largest market for new electronic products, with total sales of used electronics destined for reuse or recycling valued at US$ 20.6 billion and exports making up US$ 1.45 billion in 2011, the report asserts. ‘The top five destinations for US exports of UEPs (used electronic products) in 2011, accounting for 74% of exports, were Mexico, India, Hong Kong, China and the group of other Asia-Pacific markets,’ adds the ITC. ‘Just over half of US e-scrap exports were shipped to OECD countries.’
Belgium, Sweden, Canada and the group of Asia-Pacific markets excluding Hong Kong, China and India (largely the Republic of Korea and Japan) together accounted for 274 000 tons, or about 36% of US exports by volume. A total of 34% of exports by weight were being sent to foreign smelters and metal foundries, observes the ITC.
Commodity scrap materials such as metals, plastics and glass ‘are still in considerable demand’, the ITC continues. The same goes for parts not intended for reuse – whole and shredded printed circuit boards, wires and cables, and separated CRTs, mercury lamps and batteries. At 91% in terms of volume, they made up the majority of total US exports of disassembled electronics and electrics in 2011, the report states.
The ITC study was conducted in 2012 in collaboration with more than 5200 recyclers, brokers and refurbishers.
To read the report, visit: www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub4379.pdf
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