A coalition of industries and businesses that rely on tungsten is urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to consider export controls on tungsten scrap, arguing that tighter oversight could help preserve domestic supply for manufacturers and defense users.
Regulation
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Research – Compliance: Navigating the Post-Basel ITAD Compliance Landscape in 2026
As of Q1 2026, the operating environment that the global ITAD industry was built around has been evolving and materially changing. The Basel Convention’s 2025 amendments have subjected virtually all transboundary e-waste movements to Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedures, eliminating the permissive classifications that allowed untested equipment to cross borders with minimal scrutiny. Malaysia, until recently the principal global destination for imported e-waste, has imposed an absolute prohibition on all e-waste imports, with the ban was formally gazetted into law on April 1, 2026, removing a critical outlet from the global processing chain overnight. And for enterprises subject to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, gaps in downstream asset-disposition tracking have now become an audit exposure.
This report analyzes what these developments mean for ITAD operators, enterprise asset managers, and logistics providers, and sets out the contractual, operational, and reporting steps required to remain compliant, auditable, and insurable in this new environment.
Seized e-Waste in SE Asia: Return to Sender
Thailand’s recent seizure of suspected illegal e waste at Laem Chabang Port is the latest in a wave of enforcement actions across Southeast Asia that is reshaping how the region handles foreign electronic scrap, and raising the prospect that exporters face a National Sword style closure of informal import channels.
Malaysia clamps down on illegal e-waste imports amid probes
Malaysia’s growing role as a hub for global e‑scrap is colliding with corruption probes, large container seizures and...
Auditors warn EU may fall short on critical metals
EU auditors are warning that Europe is unlikely to secure enough critical raw materials by 2030, because import...
US-EU trade rift adds risk now for ITAD and e-scrap trade
The suspension of trade talks between the United States and the European Union in January has added a new layer of...