Philippines bans US e-waste imports amid legal hurdles in Subic Bay
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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines has stopped accepting electronic waste imports from the United States.
This move follows a campaign by environmental activists who warned that the country could become a dumping ground for hazardous foreign waste. The DENR stated that the policy requires customs officials to enforce existing rules under the Basel Convention, an international treaty that prohibits waste shipments from countries that are not members, including the United States.
A 2025 court ruling complicates the government's ability to monitor these shipments. A Manila court decided that the Subic Bay freeport sits outside the jurisdiction of the customs bureau, meaning authorities cannot require importers to get pre-shipment clearances. This ruling prevents regulators from screening cargo before it enters the zone. Consequently, officials now rely more on alerts from watchdog groups to identify suspicious shipments.
The Subic Bay freeport serves as a major hub for the Pax Silica initiative, a U.S.-led project to secure supply chains for semiconductors and artificial intelligence. While the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) argues that recyclers in the zone support 6,000 jobs and contribute to a circular economy, environmental groups express concern that the project might increase the flow of waste into the country. Lawmakers are currently considering an amendment to the hazardous waste law to close regulatory loopholes.
