Preventing illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances

Illegal trading in ozone-depleting substances (ODS), still a problem, is being addressed by national governments but substantial quantities of ODS are still being smuggled across national borders.

CFC elimination is being undermined by a rise in illegal trading. Substantial demand still exists in the developed world, mostly to service existing refrigeration and cooling equipment. Illegally-imported virgin CFCs are cheaper than legally recycled CFCs or new CFCs obtained from limited existing stocks. The incentives for smuggling are therefore high. Estimates of the size of the global CFC black market range from 20 000 to 30 000 tonnes annually.