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Enforcement Status of the Basel Convention and Domestic Laws Concerning Import/Export of Specified Hazardous Wastes in 2018

Japanese

May 28, 2019

Joint press release with the Ministry of the Environment

Energy and Environment Policy

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) hereby jointly announce the status of enforcement of the Act on Control of Export, Import and Others of Specified Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes (domestic law corresponding to the Basel Convention; hereinafter referred to as the “Basel Convention Act”). The data for imports and exports of the specified hazardous wastes under this Act in 2018 (January-December) are as follows:

Exports*: 626 cases (down by about 48.0%); 215,890 tons (down by about 13.3%)
Imports*: 858 cases (up by about 7.7%); 27,910 tons (up by about 37.1%)
Note: Figures in parentheses show the results on a year-on-year basis. *The rest of the figures show the total cases of issued movement documents and the total amount involved.

1. Outline of the Basel Convention Act

Concerning the import/export of specified hazardous wastes for disposal or recycling, the Basel Convention Act requires that people involved in such import/export obtain approval from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act; stipulates the confirmation process for the Minister of the Environment for granting such approval; requires that approved people involved in such import/export carry a movement document; and empowers the ministers to order people involved in such import/export to take measures for the collection and proper disposal of waste in cases where they have conducted operations inappropriately.

2. Exports of specified hazardous wastes in 2018

Out of the total cases of approved exports in Japan, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry issued movement documents involving exports of specified hazardous wastes to 626 cases, and the amount of such wastes was 215,890 tons. The major breakdown of the waste items includes lead scrap (lead storage batteries), coal ash and tin lead scrap, all of which were exported for recycling purposes, such as metal recovery. The major countries of destination were South Korea and Belgium.

3. Imports of specified hazardous wastes in 2018

Out of the total cases of approved imports in Japan, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry issued movement documents involving imports of specified hazardous wastes to 858 cases, and the amount of such wastes was 27,910 tons. The major breakdown of the waste items includes electronic parts scrap, battery scrap (nickel-cadmium, nickel hydrogen, lithium-ion batteries, etc.) and metal containing sludge, all of which were imported for recycling purposes, such as metal recovery. The major countries of origin were Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand.

Division in Charge

Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau