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SITCSection 5
U.S. imports of waste, parings & scrap of polyethylene polymers (SITC 57910) totaled $3.0M in April 2026, traded with 12 countries.
Importers of Waste, Parings & Scrap of Polyethylene Polymers paid $53K in duties in April 2026 — an effective duty rate of 10% on $533K in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Waste, Parings & Scrap of Polyethylene Polymers imports of $3.0M in April 2026 ran 14% above the year-to-date monthly average of $2.6M.
Last updated: April 2026 dataPost-industrial and post-consumer polyethylene scrap — including HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE waste streams in the form of parings, off-cuts, and rejected moldings — enters US trade primarily as feedstock for mechanical recycling operations producing regrind or pelletized recycled resin. The growing regulatory and commercial pressure to incorporate recycled content in packaging and consumer goods has elevated the strategic value of clean, well-sorted polyethylene scrap. Import quality is highly sensitive to contamination levels, color consistency, and melt-flow index, which determine whether the material can be used in food-contact or technical applications versus lower-value compounding. Importers should be aware that some jurisdictions restrict the export of mixed or contaminated plastic waste under the Basel Convention, which can affect documentation and admissibility.
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The Basel Convention's 2019 plastic waste amendments restrict transboundary movement of mixed or contaminated plastic scrap between signatory countries. While the US has not ratified the Basel Convention, exporting countries that have may require prior informed consent documentation or restrict export of non-hazardous plastic waste to non-parties. Importers should confirm that the exporting country's regulations permit shipment and that the material meets the cleanliness and sorting standards required for the intended recycling application.
Melt-flow index (MFI), contamination level (non-PE content by weight), color consistency, and moisture content are the primary quality determinants. Clean, single-polymer HDPE natural scrap commands the highest premiums and is suitable for food-contact recycled resin production, while mixed-color or contaminated material is directed to lower-value applications such as pipe, lumber composites, or agricultural film. Buyers typically specify these parameters in purchase contracts and may require third-party testing certificates.
Monthly import values over time
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