News / Asian ports under pressure after China ban on plastic and paper waste

© Le Cong Tu

Port operations in South-east Asia have come under increasing pressure from a build-up in scrap cargo, following China’s crackdown on imported waste.

In Vietnam, a dramatic increase in scrap-laden containers forced Ho Chi Minh City’s overloaded Cat Lai port to temporarily stop receiving plastic and paper waste on 1 June.

In a letter to customers, terminal operator Saigon Newport said handling operations had been “seriously impacted” by 8,000 teu of uncollected scrap cargo, resulting in temporary overcapacity. The terminal had previously restricted imports for ...