Thai Authorities Crack Down on 200 Tons of Illegally Imported E-Waste from the US

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thai authorities announced the seizure of 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at Bangkok’s port. This operation marks one of the largest finds of the year.

The waste was concealed within ten containers and falsely declared as mixed metal scrap. However, a random inspection revealed the shipments contained circuit boards mixed with metal scrap, as confirmed by Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department.

A recent U.N. report highlighted the escalating global electronic waste crisis, noting that 62 million tons were generated in 2022 alone. This figure is projected to rise to 82 million tons by 2030. Alarmingly, only 22% of electronic waste was properly recycled last year, with expectations for that number to dip to 20% by the decade’s end due to increased consumption and inadequate recycling infrastructure.

Theeraj emphasized the need for stringent measures against such imports. He stated, “There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing.”

Electronic waste poses significant health risks, as many components contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium. While recyclers seek valuable metals such as gold and copper from circuit boards, inadequate controls lead to dangerous extraction methods, including burning plastics.

In response to these issues, Thailand enacted a ban on various electronic waste products in 2020. Earlier this year, the Cabinet expanded this list of prohibited items to further protect public health and the environment.

Sunthron Kewsawang, deputy director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, indicated suspicions of at least two factories in Samut Sakhon province, adjacent to Bangkok, being involved in illegal imports.

This seizure follows a previous operation in January, where 256 tons of electronic waste from Japan and Hong Kong were intercepted by the Customs Department at a port in eastern Thailand.