Malaysia Guidelines for Wastepaper and Scrap Metal
Malaysia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing overseas buyers of scrap metal shipped out of the U.S. On January 10, 2022, the Malaysian government enacted new scrap inspection and purity standards for wastepaper and scrap metal to safeguard the environment. These guidelines specify the requirements for the importation, inspection, and CoA issuance of all wastepaper and scrap metal into Malaysia for manufacturing purposes.
Under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), all wastepaper and scrap metal intended to be imported into Malaysia are now subject to an inspection process and issuance of Certificate of Approval (CoA) as per Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2017.
WASTEPAPER
Guidelines for Importation and Inspection of Wastepaper:
The guideline covers all incoming importation of wastepaper into Malaysia intended for manufacturing purposes by various paper-based industries. The tariff codes for wastepaper allowed for importation are as follows:
(i) HS 4707.10: Unbleached kraft paper or paperboard or corrugated paper or paperboard
(ii) HS 4702.20: Other paper or paperboard made mainly of bleached chemical pulp, not colored in the mass
(iii) HS 4707.30: Paper or paperboard made mainly of mechanical pulp (for example, newspapers, journals, and similar printed matter)
The wastepaper tariff code HS 4707.90 (Other, including unsorted waste and scrap) is not allowed to be imported into Malaysia.
METAL SCRAP
Guidelines for Importation and Inspection of Metal Scrap:
This Guideline covers all incoming importation of metal scrap into Malaysia intended for manufacturing purposes in various fields, particularly iron & steel, aluminum, and copper. The tariff codes for metal scrap allowed for importation are as follows:
(i) HS 7204: Ferrous waste and scrap; remelting scrap ingots of iron or steel
(ii) HS 7404: Copper waste and scrap
(iii) HS 7602: Aluminium waste or scrap
The imported metal scrap must not contain or be contaminated by materials that allow it to be:
(i) classified as scheduled waste under the Environmental Quality Act (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005; or/and
(ii) defined as hazardous materials or other wastes under the Basel Convention.
Commercial Service Malaysia, along with colleagues in the Department of Commerce who cover the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), successfully requested that the Government of Malaysia allow a reasonable time for stakeholders’ comments. That action allowed interested parties to submit written comments on the implemented measures through the WTO TBT Enquiry Point, based on the extended timeline.
If you represent a U.S. company facing challenges in exporting to Malaysia, please contact office.kualalumpur@trade.gov for commercial diplomacy support.