Scrap exporters in dark over ’08 China licenses

Dec 12, 2007 | 02:03 PM | Sean Barry

Several hundred U.S. scrap companies are still waiting to receive confirmation that applications to renew Chinese export licenses have been accepted as the end-of-year expiration of their old licenses looms.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) was expected to report back by the end of this year but is believed to be working through a backlog because of the sheer number of applications to renew licenses from scrap companies worldwide.

AQSIQ issued more than 3,000 licenses to scrap companies globally when the program was introduced at the beginning of 2005. Those licenses expire at the end of this month.

"There are several hundred scrap companies in the U.S. still waiting for their renewal certificate," said Scott Horne, general counsel and vice president of government relations for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). "There were nearly 3,000 applications first time around for the license, and AQSIQ was anticipating close to that number reapplying. Volume clearly has a lot to do with the situation."....