E-waste export restriction proposal moves to Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022 (America COMPETES Act) on Feb. 4, moving a restriction of e-waste exports closer to becoming law than any previous effort.
According to the COMPETES bill text, “as the second-largest producer of electronic waste, the United States has a strong economic and national security incentive to enhance domestic e-waste recycling capacity rather than exporting to China and other countries.” The legislation further stresses that ‘it is in the national security interests of the United States to ensure that the export of electronic waste does not become the source of counterfeit goods that may reenter electronics supply chains in the United States.’
The bill also refers to the environmental and human health damage that can result from e-waste exports and its informal and inappropriate management in other countries.
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