China's Ecology and Environment Ministry redrafts import policy of secondary aluminium amid growing influx

The revised version has amended the policies for secondary aluminium alloy imports, taking into account the status and recent developments in the field. Once the revised policies are implemented, high-quality raw materials of secondary aluminium alloys, such as wrought aluminium alloy and secondary pure aluminium, will possibly be allowed for imports.

The revised draft includes the categories of secondary aluminium alloy to be imported, inspection standards, and index requirements. The main aim of this revision is to open up the import of overseas wrought aluminium alloy materials and secondary pure aluminium materials into the Chinese market.

The revised version also covers performance index requirements for secondary aluminium alloy and aluminium alloy materials. The requirements state that aluminium of imported secondary aluminium or the physical content of imported aluminium alloy should be ≥91%. It further provides a detailed classification of the size and conditions of the materials.

According to SMM, the domestic aluminium scrap supply in China has increased in line with the surge in production, owing to the expansion of domestic deep processing capacity of aluminium scrap, supported by domestic dual-carbon policies. Yet, there is an increased need for imported scrap to meet the growing demand in the downstream industry.