BIR Report

Scrap shipping process to India Improves
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Brussels, reports that changes have been made regarding the import of recyclables into India. The changes came after efforts to promote reconsideration of the controls of imports into India by BIR, its members in India and the BIR Ambassador to India. The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forest released notice of the changes Sept. 23.

Notice S.O.2447(E) makes improvements designed to allow traders to provide their services to their clients, the “actual users,” having registered with the State Pollution Control Board. Also the new Indian rules allow inspection agencies “certified by the exporting country” and inspection and certification agencies “approved by the Director General of Foreign Trade” to provide exporters with pre-shipment inspection certificates where required.

Not every exporting country will have the services of an inspection agency, and certain inspection agencies are likely to continue to refuse to provide certificates for India (in light of the required certificate wording and its liability). Exporting countries that do not have an inspection agency “certified by the exporting country” can use an agency “approved by the Director General of Foreign Trade,” according to the notice. 

Notice S.O.2447(E) can be found at www.envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/SO2447.pdf  and amends Notice S.O.1799(E) at www.envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/SO1799E.pdf, which amends the main Rules on Hazardous Wastes at www.envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/HAZMAT_2265_eng.pdf.