On 1 August, China registered two filings with the World Trade Organization signaling China’s intent on banning imports of 24 kinds of solid waste, effective 1 September. China imports a huge amount of solid waste, particularly from the United States; according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), China imported $5.6 billion worth of scrap commodities from the United States in 2016. The filings cite “protection of human health or safety” and “protection of the environment” as its reasons for banning the 24 types of solid wastes.