Groups Raise Alarm Over 184 Suspected Illegal E-Waste Containers from US to Philippines

• The Basel Action Network (BAN) and Philippine environmental groups have identified 184 shipping containers suspected of carrying illegal electronic waste from the US to the Philippines.
• The shipments are expected to arrive at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone between August 6 and September 30, 2026.
• Civil society organizations are calling on the Philippine government to intercept, inspect, and prevent the entry of these suspected hazardous waste shipments.

Background and Customs Action

• On July 22, the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) acted on three prior containers flagged by BAN, ordering them to remain on their vessel, the MV Tokyo Express, due to Basel Convention obligations.
• Although the containers were declared as "scrap copper," critics noted they were moved shortly after the inspection order.
• The current alert follows this event, with advocates demanding that the government address the remaining 184 containers with the same urgency.

Legal Standing

• Under the Basel Convention, the Philippines cannot permit the import of regulated e-waste from non-Party countries like the US without a specific Article 11 agreement, which the EPA and State Department confirm does not exist.
• Advocates argue that any confirmed e-waste should be returned to the US under a 2001 bilateral hazardous waste agreement, forcing US authorities to ensure responsible management.
• The groups emphasize that the 2025 E-Waste Amendments now bring nearly all electronic waste under the strict control of the Convention.

Concerns and Industry Implications

• The task force opposes any new bilateral agreements that might legalize US e-waste exports to the Philippines.
• Activists have expressed concern that the US-led "Pax Silica Initiative," designed for AI industrial development and mineral recovery, could be used as a loophole to facilitate the influx of electronic waste under the guise of "urban mining."