* Chinese govt had imposed one-month ban on U.S. scrap imports
* Canada inspectors can now travel to U.S. to issue certificates
* Measure may only bring "small relief" - trade body
* Trade body expects suspension to be lifted on June 4
By Tom Daly
BEIJING, May 24 (Reuters) - China has authorised Canada-based staff from its designated pre-shipment inspection company to carry out checks on U.S. scrap, allowing some shipments of American material, a U.S. trade body said on Wednesday.
The Chinese government in early May had imposed a one-month halt on scrap shipments from the United States by suspending pre-inspections by China Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC) North America until June 4. the Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) said on Wednesday it had received information that CCIC Canada inspectors would be allowed to travel to the United States to "undertake pre-shipment inspections and issue certificates for U.S. scrap shipments bound for China."
The authorization was issued from May 22 until the end of the one-month suspension on June 4, ISRI said. However, it added that "as it is expected that CCIC Canada is going to be overwhelmed by inspections, this may only be a small relief."
The one-month stoppage, part of a Chinese crackdown on imports of solid waste, dealt a major blow to U.S. scrap exporters, with ISRI estimating at the time that around $400 million worth of trade could be affected.
Any scrap cargoes that set sail from the United States before May 4 are still subject to strict inspections on arrival in China.
CCIC North America could not be reached for comment outside of business hours in the United States. China's General Administration of Customs did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.
"It is still expected that the suspension on the U.S. operations of [CCIC North America] will be lifted on June 4," ISRI said, adding that rigorous inspections on all U.S. scrap containers arriving in China would continue.