"From 1989 onward, the EU has been a leading advocate for banning the North-South trade in hazardous waste. In contrast, the USA has opposed such a ban and argued in favour of continued trade. This divergence is explained by differences both in the two entities' domestic institutions and in their valuations of international environmental leadership."
Source: Dreher, K., and S. Pulver. 2008. ‘Environment as “High Politics”? Explaining Divergence in US and EU Hazardous Waste Export Policies’. Review of European Community and International Environmental Law 17 (3): 308–20. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9388.2008.00613.x.