BOC blocks US e-waste shipment from entering Subic port

An aerial image shows recycling facilities inside the Subic Bay Freeport that the group claims are linked to suspected shipments of electronic waste from the United States. (Photo courtesy of Basel Action Network) SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Nearly a month after environmental groups revealed that suspected electronic waste (e-waste) and one container of plastic waste from the United States (US) have reached this freeport since March, authorities prevented three container vans carrying alleged US e-waste from being unloaded at the Port of Subic. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confirmed to Inquirer on Saturday (July 25) that the containers declared to contain scrap copper from the US arrived aboard MV Tokyo Express on July 22. READ: SBMA defends e-waste recycling, says industry supports circular economy Article continues after this advertisement BOC Subic District Collector Geniefelle Lagmay, upon receiving information about the shipment, immediately directed that the containers be placed under “Retain on Board” status due to the shipment’s country of origin, preventing their discharge at the Port of Subic. READ: Zambales folk seek DENR dialogue over ‘destructive’ dredging “The directive was issued in view of the shipment’s country of origin. The United States is not a Party to the Basel Convention, which governs the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and other wastes,” the BOC-Port of Subic said The agency said it adopted a precautionary approach consistent with the Philippines’ obligations under the Basel Convention, as well as applicable environmental and customs laws and regulations, by requiring the shipment to remain on board pending compliance with all applicable legal requirements. The three containers were never unloaded and remained on board when MV Tokyo Express departed the Port of Subic on July 23. Article continues after this advertisement Since the shipment was not discharged, the BOC said it did not enter the customs territory of the Port of Subic. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that MV Tokyo Express departed Subic Bay on July 23 and was last recorded en route to Nansha, China. Article continues after this advertisement The vessel, a Liberia-flagged container ship, was monitored at 142 nautical miles southeast of Sok Kwu Wan, Hong Kong, as of July 25. The controversy about e-waste began after the Basel Action Network (BAN) and local environmental group BAN Toxics, through their Task Force Against Illegal E-Waste Imports to the Philippines, alleged that at least 234 container vans of suspected e-waste and one container of plastic waste from the US entered this freeport between March 2025 and June 2026. The groups said the shipments may have violated the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, because the US is not a party to the convention and the imports allegedly lacked the required Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The allegations prompted the BOC to convene an inter-agency meeting involving the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Solicitor General, and environmental groups to examine the legal and regulatory issues surrounding the shipments. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) defended its policy of allowing e-waste recycling inside the freeport, saying the industry supports the circular economy through “urban mining” by recovering valuable metals from discarded electronics and reducing the need for new mining. SBMA also maintained that it does not allow the entry of hazardous or radioactive waste, stating that imported materials undergo inspection, laboratory testing and post-entry monitoring to ensure compliance with existing regulations. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. The agencies as well as the said task force agreed to submit position papers while continuing discussions on the matter. /jpv