Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act
Key claim: HR2998 would prohibit the export or reexport of electronic waste (computers, televisions, consumer electronics) with limited exemptions to prevent counterfeit-product sourcing.
Abstract
(HR2998 · 119th Congress) Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act This bill prohibits the export or reexport of electronic waste, such as computers, televisions, and consumer electronics, subject to certain exemptions (e.g., items that meet specific criteria designed to ensure they do not become the source of counterfeit products). Latest action (2025-04-24): Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Why this matters
E-waste export restrictions sit at an unusual intersection of environmental policy and export controls: proponents frame them as a supply-chain security measure to disrupt overseas counterfeit-electronics manufacturing that draws on discarded U.S. hardware. For exporters and recyclers, a prohibition would foreclose an established downstream market; for importers of refurbished components and consumers of repair parts, it could tighten availability and raise prices. The bill’s recurring reintroduction without enactment signals persistent interest but low legislative momentum.