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Waste – obligation to declare on exportation

You shall declare the exportation of waste in TVINN before the consignment passes the border. The obligation to declare applies to all waste, defective products, etc., regardless of the value, which are encompassed by the Waste Regulations. 

Note: An update of this article is pending. Please note that some terms and/or references may differ from the Movement of Goods Act and the Customs Duty Act that enters into force from the 1st of January 2023.

The obligation to declare the exportation of waste encompasses commercial and non-commercial actors (including private persons).

It is important that the basic data is correct and that the required permits/documents are available when crossing the border. All declared exports of waste shall be declared with a valid statistical value, a negative customs value is not acceptable and the minimum amount that can be declared in TVINN box 46 is NOK 1.
Excluded from the obligation to declare is the exportation of goods that have a value that does not exceed NOK 5,000 per consignment and are not subject to restrictions.

Exporters shall obtain the necessary permits from the Norwegian Environment Agency in advance. Notifiable waste shall always be exported over a pre-determined border station in accordance with the Norwegian Environment Agency’s permit (box 15c in the notification document).

State the following reference codes in box 44 of the export declaration in TVINN:

Notifiable waste:

- State the code U2 followed by the "Notification No". The text shall be stated like "U2 NO xxxxxx".

- The reference «Notification No» is stated in box 1 in the consignments Movement Document.

Read more on the website of the Norwegian Environment Agency.

Green listed waste: 

- State the code U3 followed by the EAL code. The text shall be stated like "U3 xxxxxx". 

- The «EAL code» is stated in box 10 of the accompanying document for green listed waste/annex 7.

At border crossings, the carrier shall be able to present:

  • Copy of the export declaration with the expeditionary and serial number
  • For notifiable waste:
    – Copy of stamped notification documents (notification documents)
    – Accompanying document for notifiable waste (movement document) 
    – Written consents for shipment of the waste by the authorities involved
    – Any attachments (carrier list, waste producers, etc.)
  • For green listed waste:
     – Accompanying document for green listed waste (Annex VII)
  • Other relevant customs and transport documents

The general obligation to declare pursuant to the regulations of Norwegian Customs applies correspondingly to the exportation of waste. Violation of the obligation to declare the exportation of waste, such as an inadequately completed declaration, may prevent the release of the consignment and the Norwegian Customs may detain the consignment.

Detention means that the consignment is stopped and returned to Norwegian territory, pending a decision by the Norwegian Environment Agency in accordance with the current Waste Regulations.

Purpose of the stricter regulation

Practical implementation of the obligation to declare on the exportation of waste is part of the work to improve the control of the cross-border shipment of waste, and it also gives the environmental authorities and Norwegian Customs a better overview of where waste from commercial and private actors is deposited, given final treatment or recycled. Cross-border shipment of waste is an international area of focus and has gained increased attention in recent years, and the export volume of waste is large and increasing.