Malaysia to enact updated scrap purity standards

The Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has released a statement indicating that implementation of its Guidelines for the Importation of Metal Scrap and Waste Paper will go into effect Jan. 10. Until then, MITI says its interim measure for the implementation of the Guidelines for the Importation and Inspection of Metal Scrap for HS code 7204 (ferrous scrap), 7404 (copper scrap) and 7602 (aluminum scrap) will continue to be enforced until Jan. 9.

“MITI commends the commitment by all major manufacturers and importers in complying with the guidelines during the interim period,” the ministry says in a statement on the new guidelines. “MITI calls upon the industry to continue to support the overarching objective of the guidelines in complying with our international commitment. This is as prescribed through the UN Sustainable Development Goals which, under goal 12, is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns as well as in upholding the environment, social and governance principles.”

The new standards demand ferrous scrap shipments must consist of 94.75 percent iron and steel, with a maximum 0.25 percent nonmetallic consistency and nothing considered by MITI as “electrical and electronic” scrap. Aluminum and copper specifications demand identical percentages, which would result in a ban on coated wire and cable scrap and lead to uncertainty for mixed, shredded grades that can contain fragments of printed circuit boards.

MITI extended the period of this interim measure in November 2021. At that time, the ministry stated that the extended interim period would allow the industry to “undertake the necessary preparations towards the Certificate of Approval (CoA) implementation.”