China increases processing of imported copper and aluminum scrap

The Ministry of the Environment in its 2016 annual report talks about preventing environmental pollution as a result of the growing share of finished products made from scrap metal. This is consistent with the strategic goal of comprehensive modernization of the domestic industry, as calculated by the Chinese government until 2025.

China saved a total of 8.33 million tonnes of copper concentrate, generating 1.67 million tonnes of copper processed from imported scrap copper last year. At the same time, China saved a total of 7.89 million tons of bauxite in 2015, producing 1.66 million tons of recycled aluminum using imported aluminum.

China imported 3.66 million tonnes of scrap copper and 2.087 million tonnes of scrap aluminum in 2015, up 5.59% and 9%, respectively, from 2014 levels, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is calling for an increase in the use of recycled metal in the period 2016-20.