Myth, Misunderstanding, Miscommunications and Mistakes - Fact and In-Depth Analysis of Product-Related Environmental Regulations on Electrical and Electronic Equipment in China, Japan and Korea

Abstract:     
The purpose of this article is to provide clarification to corporate environmental managers of multinational companies on current and emerging product-related regulatory developments in China, Japan and Korea. "WEEE" and "RoHS" are no longer an isolated "European phenomenon" but are becoming part of a much larger and irreversible trend, requiring manufacturers and users of impacted products around the world to become more proactive and strategically focused. This is of concern where the responsible corporate actors have limited on-the-ground experience and have a home-country bias when it comes to the way in which they interpret environmental policies and regulations. By providing and analyzing the background and details of new product-related environmental policies and regulations affecting the electrical and electronic products industry, this article aims to provide corporate environmental managers with guidance on the different legal systems and the development and implementation of product-related environmental regulations in these three critical Asia markets.

Keywords: RoHS, WEEE, Environmental Regulations, China, Japan, Korea, electrical and electronic equipment

JEL Classification: F14, K23, K32, K40, M14

working papers series