Page 39 - Plastics News August 2018

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China to impose tariffs on scrap Petition calls on snacks firm to
imports from the US
end use of plastic in UK

n response to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR’s)
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IRIÀFH SXEOLVKLQJ LWV ÀQDO OLVW RI ELOOLRQ LQ &KLQHVH Tunder pressure this week to explain why it is helping
goods that will be subject to an additional tariff of 25 to fuel the plastic waste littering the streets and seas by
percent as of August 23,2018 China has announced its producing more than 7,000 non-recyclable crisp packets
intentions to begin imposing an additional tariff of 25 every minute. A new analysis carried out by campaign
percent on certain goods, including scrap, imported from RUJDQLVDWLRQ 'HJUHHV KDV IRXQG WKDW :DONHUV LV VHW
to produce an additional 28bn plastic crisp packets by
2025 – the date by which the company has pledged to
make its crisp packets 100% recyclable, compostable
or biodegradable. Crisps and “crisp-style snacks” are
popular staples in British households, regularly eaten
by 90% of adults, according a recent Mintel report. UK
consumers munch their way through 6bn packets of
crisps a year. But, although the inside of conventional
crisp packets are shiny and look like foil, they are in
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the U.S. starting on that same date.The Institute of Scrap The government- funded body Recycle Now – part of its
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exported a total of $5.6 billion worth of scrap commodities
Programme) – advises that no packets are currently
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the total of U.S. scrap exports to China was $2.2 billion, a rather than the recycling bin. A 38 Degrees petition
decrease of 24 percent from the same time frame last year,
the association adds. ISRI is already hearing from contacts FDOOLQJ RQ :DONHUV DQG RWKHU PDQXIDFWXUHUV WR VWRS
in China that the announcement has caused consternation using plastic packaging in its crisp packets was handed
among Chinese consumers of U.S. scrap commodities,” LQ WR WKH IRRG DQG GULQN JLDQW 3HSVL&R :DONHUV· SDUHQW
the association says in a statement regarding China’s
most recent round of tariffs. “Although these tariffs will
not be levied on imports from other countries, it is our
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This is in line with other reports that the trade war has
had an impact on the Chinese economy across many
sectors. “ISRI regrets that the trade dispute between the
United States and China continues to escalate without any
indication that the two governments will be negotiating
an agreement on trade,” the association continues. company. Geraint Ashcroft of Cardiff, who started the
“There is no doubt that these tariffs will impair the petition, which now has 270,000 signatures, is meeting
already diminishing scrap exports from the United States VHQLRU H[HFXWLYHV IURP WKH ÀUP /RUQD *UHHQZRRG
campaign manager at 38 Degrees.
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of its Section 301 investigation that found China’s acts, “There’s huge public concern about the amount of
policies and practices related to technology transfer, plastic being produced and that means it’s crunch
intellectual property and innovation are unreasonable and WLPH IRU :DONHUV WR GHFLGH LI WKH\ ZLOO OLVWHQ WR WKHLU
discriminatory and burden U.S. commerce. customers.”

39 August 2018 Plastics News