Federal regulators are considering a proposal to ban exports of unprocessed e-scrap and require stringent tracking procedures for exports that are still allowed.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, on Oct. 23 released a regulatory proposal that would alter requirements for e-scrap exports.
Under the rule, untested end-of-life electronic devices would be prohibited from export out of the U.S.
The agency’s reasoning is to limit counterfeit goods coming back into the U.S., and it references research that shows exported devices can contribute to counterfeiting.
The rule includes a number of exemptions. Devices that have been tested and are working, such as those that have been refurbished and are destined for reuse, could be shipped overseas.
Materials recovered from e-scrap through processing, such as commodities destined for smelters, would also be allowed for export.
But for the exempt materials, BIS would require more stringent recordkeeping and tracking.“There’s no really good documentation on how much used e-scrap is exported,” said Neil Peters-Michaud,
CEO of Cascade Asset Management. His company is a steering member of the Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER), which has pushed Congress to enact e-scrap export reform over the past several years.
https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2018/11/01/federal-
rule-would-restrict-u-s-e-scrap-exports/
