California Western Law Review Volume 57 Number 1 Article 9 1-1-2021 Plastic Waste Trade in Southeast Asia After China’s Import Ban: Implications of the New Basel Convention Amendment and Recommendations for the Future Yeeun Uhm Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.cwsl.edu/cwlr Recommended Citation Uhm, Yeeun (2021) "Plastic Waste Trade in Southeast Asia After China’s Import Ban: Implications of the New Basel Convention Amendment and Recommendations for the Future," California Western Law Review: Vol. 57 : No. 1 , Article 9. Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.cwsl.edu/cwlr/vol57/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CWSL Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in California Western Law Review by an authorized editor of CWSL Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Uhm: Plastic Waste Trade in Southeast Asia After China’s Import Ban: Uhm camera ready final (Do Not Delete) 1/25/2021 11:25 AM CALIFORNIA WESTERN LAW REVIEW VOLUME 57 FALL 2020 NUMBER 1 SYMPOSIUM PLASTIC WASTE TRADE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AFTER CHINA’S IMPORT BAN: IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW BASEL CONVENTION AMENDMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE YEEUN UHM* ABSTRACT It has become evident when some countries strengthen their domestic plastic waste restrictions and oversight of imports, global flows of plastic waste simply shift elsewhere. However, the pattern of continually diverting plastic waste shipments to countries that have less strict regulatory standards will become difficult under new rules adopted under the Basel Convention in May 2019. This Article explores the Basel Convention’s role in reversing the existing plastics trade between developed and developing countries, and the legal implications of the new amendments on the international plastic waste trade, with a particular focus on the Southeast Asian countries that have been significantly impacted by China’s plastic waste import ban in 2018.