Cambodia bans export of sand

Cambodia has imposed a permanent ban on sand exports, officially ending the longstanding trade of providing sand for Singapore land reclamation projects, reports North P&I. A temporary ban was imposed late last year and Cambodia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has said that the new, permanent ban was in response to environmental concerns. Singapore has expanded its land mass by more than 20% since its independence in 1965, importing sand from countries in the region. Bans on the export of sand are already in place in Malaysia and Indonesia. If Members were considering fixing sand cargoes – particularly if the end use is for land reclamation purposes – Members were reminded that national export regulations and restrictions may apply.