By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE opening of four new recycling firms last year coincided with the sudden rise in copper wire thefts.
A list from the Division of Revenue and Taxation showed that from 2000 to 2004, there were only six recycling firms on Saipan.
In 2006, this rose to 10, two of which opened branches on Tinian.
Among the six original scrap traders on Saipan is Huang Zheng Corp. Ltd., whose owner, Quan Huang was arrested by the police on Feb. 4 for buying stolen copper wire.
Huang Zheng, located in Puerto Rico, was established on June 20, 2002, and its business license will expire in October.
The other five original recycling firms on Saipan are the Great Pacific Refuse and Recycling Center in Garapan, established on Sept. 5, 2000 with business license expiring in September this year; KP Company Limited in Lower Base which opened on Sept. 27, 2002, and whose business license is expiring in December; Ericco Enterprises in Lower Base, which opened on Aug. 8, 2003, and is now in partnership with Guam-based Maeda Company, and whose business license is expiring in September; Saipan Triple Star Recycling Inc. in As Perdido, which opened on June 24, 2004 with a license to operate until July 13,; and R&CA Corporation which opened in China Town on July 7, 2004 and whose business license expired in July last year.
The new firms are KP/Man’s Joint Venture in Tanapag, which opened on Jan. 16; the New Pacific International Trading Company Inc., Chalan Kanoa, March 6, 2006; Pacific Century Inc., Chalan Kanoa, July 24, 2006; and HJ Corporation, San Jose, Nov. 16, 2006.
HJ Corporation opened a branch on Tinian on the same day.
In October last year, Saipan Triple Star Recycling Inc., also branched out to Tinian.
In related news, the House bill that will tighten the existing scrap trade law has been transmitted to the Senate.
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, Ind.-Saipan, said he will ask his colleagues in the Senate to expedite the passage of House Bill 15-200, citing the urgent need to regulate outbound shipments of scrap metal from the CNMI, particularly copper wire.