Global Recycling Leaders Debate Tariffs at BIR Bangkok 2025

Industry experts at the BIR World Recycling Convention debated tariffs, trade barriers, and the future of free trade amid growing market fragmentation.

At the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition 2025 in Bangkok, global recycling leaders explored the pressing issue of tariffs and their impact on the free movement of resources. The International Trade Council session became a focal point of discussion, with contrasting views from Europe and the U.S. highlighting the tension between protectionism and open markets.

The BIR World Recycling Convention in Bangkok concluded with an engaging debate on October 28, as industry figures examined the effects of tariffs and trade restrictions on global recycling and resource exchange. The International Trade Council’s session underscored the delicate balance between safeguarding domestic industries and maintaining open global markets.

Murat Bayram, Managing Director of European Metals Recycling (GBR/DEU), voiced his opposition to tariffs, emphasizing that cooperation, not protectionism, is the path to strengthening European steel. “We are on the same page because we also want European steel mills to come out stronger,” he said. Bayram stressed that new tariffs would only introduce “more bureaucracy, more barriers, and more complexity,” urging instead for positive support that fosters growth and innovation.

He further pointed out that Europe’s key challenge lies not in material scarcity but in economic structure. “The problem is not the recycling industry, the problem is the economy,” he remarked, highlighting weak demand across customer segments. Bayram proposed incentive mechanisms such as CO₂ certificate sharing between recyclers and smelters to encourage local processing and reduce dependence on imports.

Emmanuel Katrakis, Chairman of the International Trade Council and Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs at Galloo (FRA/BEL), rejected suggestions of export taxes on recycled metals. Presenting a decade-long trend, he noted that EU consumption of recycled steel has dropped by roughly 10 million tonnes, leading to increased exports. “There is no need for restrictions — the market balances itself,” Katrakis explained, noting that higher energy costs, not material exports, remain the EU’s real problem.

In contrast, George Adams, CEO of SA Recycling (USA), staunchly defended tariffs, calling them essential for the U.S. steel industry’s survival. “Tariffs are single-handedly saving our steel industry,” Adams said. He argued that without them, foreign producers with lower costs would undermine domestic manufacturers, creating “a tremendous risk” for U.S. competitiveness.

Adams acknowledged that tariffs raise production costs, impacting sectors like automotive manufacturing, but insisted the trade-off was worthwhile. “Yes, our steel is going to be more expensive,” he said, “but we need that industry… as long as it’s fair.”

Adam Shaffer, Vice President of International Trade and Global Affairs at ReMA (USA), explained how data-driven research has helped the organization counter false claims about the need for export restrictions on recycled aluminium and copper. “The data backed up exactly what we had been telling the government, the consumers, and the markets,” he noted.

Adding a broader market view, Mark Sellier, Managing Director of Tangent Trading (GBR), observed that regionalization had been accelerating long before U.S. tariffs. He explained that Chinese manufacturers had begun relocating production to countries such as Thailand to mitigate regulatory risks. “They’re not importing less copper — it’s just coming from different places,” he said.

Sellier humorously highlighted how U.S. exports to Canada rose by 30% after tariffs were implemented, while Canadian exports to China increased by a similar margin. He concluded that despite these shifts, China’s dominance in manufacturing and investment remains firm. “China looks internally and fixes itself,” he remarked, predicting that regional trade systems will continue evolving in parallel across the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific.