The Ministry of Ecology and Environment Issues Announcement on Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Black Mass Raw Materials and Recycled Steel Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

On June 10, the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Announcement on Matters Related to Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Black Mass Raw Materials and Recycled Steel Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries," as follows:

Announcement on Matters Related to Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Black Mass Raw Materials and Recycled Steel Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

To promote the recycling of renewable resources and regulate the import management of recycled black mass raw materials and recycled steel raw materials for lithium-ion batteries, the relevant matters are hereby announced as follows.

1. Recycled black mass raw materials for lithium-ion batteries that meet the requirements of Appendix 1 are not classified as solid waste and can be freely imported. Recycled black mass raw materials must not be mixed with other types of recycled raw materials, and different types of recycled raw materials cannot be declared under the same customs declaration form. Imported recycled black mass raw materials must not be shipped in bulk, and different categories of recycled black mass raw materials should be placed separately.

Recycled steel raw materials that meet the requirements of Appendix 2 are not classified as solid waste and can be freely imported. Recycled steel raw materials must not be mixed with other types of recycled raw materials, and different types of recycled raw materials cannot be declared under the same customs declaration form. However, different categories of recycled steel raw materials can be declared under the same customs declaration form. When different categories of recycled steel raw materials are independently packaged or physically separated, or can be distinguished and unloaded separately during unloading, they can be mixed but should be placed separately.

2. The customs commodity code for recycled black mass raw materials for lithium-ion batteries is 3824999996. The customs commodity codes for recycled steel raw materials are 7204100010, 7204210010, 7204290010, 7204410010, and 7204490030. These customs commodity codes are for customs clearance declaration reference only.

3. The inspection of recycled black mass raw materials for lithium-ion batteries shall be conducted in accordance with the technical specifications of the customs industry to determine compliance with the index requirements of Appendix 1.

In addition to the radioactive contamination inspection, which shall comply with the specialized inspection requirements of the customs, the inspection of recycled steel raw materials shall first adopt sensory inspection. When it cannot be determined whether they meet the index requirements of Appendix 2, the inspection shall be conducted in accordance with the technical specifications of the customs industry.

4. Imported recycled black mass raw materials and recycled steel raw materials for lithium-ion batteries shall comply with the requirements of this announcement. If the customs finds that imported recycled black mass raw materials and recycled steel raw materials are suspected of being solid waste, it may entrust a professional institution to conduct attribute identification and manage them in accordance with the law based on the identification conclusions.

5. This announcement shall come into force on August 1, 2025. The "Announcement on Matters Related to Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Steel Raw Materials" (Announcement No. 78 of 2020 issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), General Administration of Customs, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) shall be simultaneously abolished.

This is hereby announced.

Ministry of Ecology and Environment

General Administration of Customs

National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ministry of Commerce

State Administration for Market Regulation

June 9, 2025

Issued by the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on June 10, 2025

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