BEIJING — China saw less imported solid waste in 2019 amid intensified crackdown on waste smuggling, official data showed.

The country imported 13.1 million metric tons of solid waste from January to mid-December 2019, down 37.5 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Chinese customs investigated 354 foreign trash smuggling cases, declining 21 percent year-on-year, with the amount of illegal waste imports diving 48.6 percent to 763,200 tons, it said in a statement.

China began importing solid waste as a source of raw materials in the 1980s. As part of its anti-pollution efforts, the country enhanced management on waste import and significantly reduced the types and amount of imported solid waste.

The country halted the import of 16 types of solid waste at the end of 2018, and 16 more types of waste including stainless steel scrap and wood scrap are prohibited from importation starting Dec 31, 2019.