The Bureau of Customs (BOC) prevented three container vans declared to contain scrap copper from the United States from being unloaded at the Port of Subic after authorities flagged the shipment’s country of origin.
The containers arrived aboard the Liberia-flagged MV Tokyo Express on July 22, nearly a month after environmental groups raised concerns over suspected electronic waste (e-waste) and plastic waste allegedly shipped from the United States to the Subic Bay Freeport.
BOC Subic District Collector Geniefelle Lagmay ordered the containers placed under “Retain on Board” status, preventing their discharge at the port.
“The directive was issued in view of the shipment’s country of origin. The United States is not a Party to the Basel Convention, which governs the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and other wastes,” the BOC-Port of Subic said Saturday.
The agency said it took a precautionary approach in line with the Philippines’ obligations under the Basel Convention and applicable environmental and customs regulations.
The containers were never unloaded and remained aboard the vessel when it left the Port of Subic on July 23, the BOC said.
Because the shipment was not discharged, it did not enter the customs territory of the Port of Subic, the agency added.
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that MV Tokyo Express departed Subic Bay on July 23 and was last recorded en route to Nansha, China. As of July 25, the vessel was monitored about 142 nautical miles southeast of Sok Kwu Wan, Hong Kong.
The development came after the Basel Action Network and local environmental group BAN Toxics alleged that at least 234 container vans of suspected e-waste and one container of plastic waste from the United States had entered the freeport between March 2025 and June 2026.
The groups said the shipments may have violated the Basel Convention, which regulates the cross-border movement of hazardous waste, because the United States is not a party to the treaty and the shipments allegedly lacked the required Prior Informed Consent procedure.
The allegations prompted the BOC to convene an inter-agency meeting with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Solicitor General and environmental groups to review the legal and regulatory issues surrounding the shipments.
The SBMA has defended the recycling of e-waste in the freeport, saying the industry supports the circular economy by recovering valuable metals from discarded electronics and reducing the need for new mining.
The agency said it does not allow hazardous or radioactive waste to enter the freeport and that imported materials undergo inspection, laboratory testing and post-entry monitoring.
The government agencies and environmental groups agreed to submit position papers while continuing discussions on the issue.
