China's government on Monday published customs codes for copper, aluminium and brass scrap that meet new standards that it said could be imported without restriction from Nov. 1, even after a ban on foreign solid waste takes effect at the end of this year.

The long-awaited customs codes are 7404000030 for high-grade copper scrap, officially called "recycled copper raw materials," 7602000020 for aluminium scrap and 7404000020 for brass scrap, said a joint statement issued by China's environment, industry and commerce ministries and its customs administration.

Top metals consumer China had published the new standards in January after scrap users lobbied for a recategorisation of very high-grade scrap from a waste to a resource, fearing a blanket ban on environmental grounds would leave the market short of supply. 

Material meeting the new standards "is not solid waste and can be imported freely," said the statement published on the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, adding the standards will be implemented from the start of next month.

China's scrap metal association is currently certifying suppliers and importers of the new-standard material, although this is a voluntary process it said would help companies clear customs faster. 

The new scrap standards were supposed to come into force on July 1 but in the absence of customs codes - along with other guidance on the import process - it was not possible to ship cargoes as traders were left confused. 

Restricted copper and aluminium scrap that does not meet the new standards can still be imported until the end of this year under valid quotas, the statement said.

A unit of the environment ministry on Monday issued the 13th batch of such quotas for 2020. 

(Reporting by Tom Daly, editing by Louise Heavens and Bernadette Baum) ((tom.daly@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2119;))