“As included in our June 2011 comment, we recognize the concern related to potential cases of used equipment being transported to countries as destined for repair or refurbishment but is in fact intended for disposal. Voluntary notification procedures would help countries promote transparency and assist in efforts to distinguish between legitimate transboundary movements of equipment and illegal transports of potentially hazardous waste under Article 9. One benefit of the procedure would be to provide information to help facilitate legitimate commercial transactions while simultaneously helping to stop illegal traffic. Caution should be exercised in creating such a procedure, however, so as not to create burdens on trade by countries that are not participating in the procedure, lest the “voluntary” procedure be converted into one that is effectively mandatory.”

From p. 4 of United States response to Basel Secretariat. 2012. ‘Draft Technical Guidelines on Transboundary Movement of E-Waste, in Particular Regarding the Distinction between Waste and Non-Waste (Version 8 May 2012)’. http://www.basel.int/Implementation/Ewaste/TechnicalGuidelines/DevelopmentofTGs/tabid/2377/Default.aspx.

“One benefit of the procedure would be to provide information to help facilitate legitimate commercial transactions while simultaneously helping stop illegal traffic. Caution should be exercised in creating such a procedure, however, so as not to create burdens on trade by countries that are not participating in the procedure, lest the “voluntary” procedure be converted into one that is effectively mandatory.”

From p. 14 of response by United States to Basel Secretariat. 2012. ‘Draft Technical Guidelines on Transboundary Movement of E-Waste, in Particular Regarding the Distinction between Waste and Non-Waste (Version of 27 September 2012)’. http://www.basel.int/Portals/4/download.aspx?d=UNEP-CHW-OEWG.8-INF-9-Rev.1.English.doc.