Articles
Practical guides on ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal for European yards, traders and mills: ISRI grades, recycling basics, freight and end-of-waste rules, plus trade and policy news that affect B2B lots.
16 Oct 2026
Aurubis approves Hamburg plant to pre-process copper and precious-metal intermediates
Aurubis on 7 October 2026 approved a late-2028 Hamburg facility to sensor-sort copper and precious-metal-bearing intermediates. Recycling International carried the story on 14 October. What yards should put on the next complex-copper lot.
15 Oct 2026
BIR: Turkish mills buy scrap just-in-time as lending costs squeeze the import book
Recycling International on 12 October 2026 reported BIR’s October Ferrous World Mirror: Turkish mills have moved to just-in-time scrap buying as commercial lending stays near 49 percent. What EU and UK yards should put on the next Turkey lot.
13 Oct 2026
CBAM trilogue on 20 October still splits steel and aluminium scrap as precursors
A Mayer Brown note of 7 October 2026 schedules the first political trilogue on the CBAM downstream extension for 20 October. Parliament and the Council still disagree on scrap as a precursor. What yards and remelters should record.
12 Oct 2026
Commission names 46 CRMA projects, including four Dutch scrap recyclers
On 9 October 2026 the Commission selected 46 CRMA Strategic Projects, 19 of them recycling. Four Dutch plants take low-grade aluminium, copper, battery and circuit-board scrap. What yards should put on the ticket.
11 Oct 2026
Speira opens a 60,000-tonne can-scrap furnace at Neuss Rheinwerk
Speira inaugurated a €40 million beverage-can recycling furnace at Rheinwerk in Neuss on 8 October 2026. About 60,000 tonnes a year of melt capacity, 6,500 tonnes of can-scrap storage and incoming-scrap sampling. What yards offering UBC should put on the ticket.
10 Oct 2026
BIR: European smelters postpone non-ferrous scrap as India access stays uncertain
BIR’s 9 October Non-Ferrous World Mirror says some European smelters are reducing activity and postponing already-purchased scrap. Automotive weakness is cutting new aluminium arisings. India remains short of imported scrap while the draft waste list leaves metal access uncertain.
9 Oct 2026
BIR: EU scrap exports rose 4.5% in H1 as Egypt nearly doubled intake and Turkey took less
BIR’s 8 October World Mirror and H1 2026 figures show EU recycled-steel exports up 4.5% to 8.52 million tonnes. Turkey still took most of it; Egypt nearly doubled. The draft waste list would close several of those outlets from May 2027.
8 Oct 2026
Assofermet: Italian ferrous scrap rose €5–15 in September as energy costs cut mill shifts
Assofermet’s 7 October note, carried by SteelOrbis, said Italian medium-to-high ferrous scrap rose €5–15/t in September as mills restocked and Turkey bought. Energy costs of about €60/t cut shifts. October is seen as stable to moderately optimistic.
7 Oct 2026
TRIMET opens a 40,000-tonne aluminium scrap sorter in Hamm and takes sorting in-house
TRIMET Aluminium SE has opened a 40,000-tonne-a-year scrap sorting plant in Hamm. Yards and processors that used to sort for the remelter should check whether it still wants pre-sorted fractions or mixed lots for the new LIBS line.
6 Oct 2026
Eurofer: 20 new EAFs planned to 2030, with 10.3 million tonnes of capacity delayed
Hellenic Shipping News on 5 October 2026 reprinted Eurofer comments to Platts: 20 new EU electric-arc furnaces are planned for 2026–2030. 33.8 million tonnes of capacity is progressing; 10.3 million is delayed or suspended. How yards should treat the scrap maths.
5 Oct 2026
European aluminium premium hits $574 as Canadian tariff talk tightens remelt feedstock
Reuters and LSEG on 2 October 2026 put the COMEX European duty-paid aluminium premium at $574 a tonne, the highest since 8 June, after a 10 percent one-day rise on talk of a US tariff cut for Canadian metal. How yards and remelters should name the next aluminium-scrap lot.
4 Oct 2026
ArcelorMittal pauses Gijón for a week on a thin wire-rod book as Spain’s EAF still aims for 2026
ArcelorMittal halted Gijón longs from 28 September to 3 October 2026 on a thin wire-rod book. Unesid puts extra Spanish steel energy costs at about €658 million for March–December. The 1.1 million-tonne Gijón EAF is still due in 2026 and will melt scrap with DRI and HBI.
3 Oct 2026
EU steel growth and new EAFs would need 8–11 million extra tonnes of scrap, GMK Center says
EUROMETAL on 1 October 2026 reported GMK Center comments to Platts: replacing lost steel imports and starting announced EAFs would require 8–11 million extra tonnes of steel scrap later this decade.
2 Oct 2026
Turkey scrap imports rise 4% through August as the UK overtakes Dutch supply
SteelOrbis, citing TUIK, put Turkish scrap imports at 12.73 million tonnes in January to August 2026, up 4 percent. The UK overtook the Netherlands and Romanian tonnes rose the most. How the origin mix has shifted for EU yards and traders booking Turkish cargoes.
1 Oct 2026
IREPAS: Rhine delays, freight costs and 2027 barriers squeeze European scrap
SteelOrbis coverage of the 95th IREPAS meeting in Belgrade: Rhine low water, higher freight and financing, and proposed EU waste-list rules are changing how yards sell scrap into Turkey, India and Pakistan.
30 Sept 2026
German copper scrap hits new records as LME copper climbs again
EUWID reported on 28 September 2026 that German copper scrap grades rose by 20 to 40 euros per 100 kg last week to new record highs after another LME jump. Brass also firmed. Name the grade and keep copper and brass separate.
29 Sept 2026
India scrap imports: DGFT delists 15 inspection agencies and keeps a two-day PSIC window
On 25 September 2026 Business Standard reported that India's DGFT withdrew recognition of 15 pre-shipment inspection agencies after certificate irregularities. EU and UK yards still need a valid PSIC or a qualifying safe-country yard certificate before an Indian importer can clear the cargo.
28 Sept 2026
Pakistan import scrap stays quiet as freight and the Red Sea hold UK shredded offers
On 23 September 2026 SteelOrbis reported Pakistan's ferrous import book as subdued, with two ex-UK shredded cargoes heard around 417 dollars a tonne CFR Qasim. Freight and Red Sea risk are holding offers while mills buy only what they need.
27 Sept 2026
CMA and BVSE: EU draft metal list applies a special standard and would close main export markets
Recycling International on 25 September 2026 grouped Germany's CMA and BVSE with BIR against the 18 September draft metal-waste list. CMA calls the metal column a special standard the Waste Shipment Regulation does not provide. BVSE warns of oversupply if mills do not lift the surplus. Consultation closes 16 October.
26 Sept 2026
MRAI asks India to intervene as the EU draft would close metal-scrap imports from May 2027
India's MRAI asked the Commerce Ministry to intervene after the 18 September EU draft left India off the metal-waste column. Recycling International and KNN recorded MRAI's 2025/26 EU import shares and a resource-protectionism claim. Consultation remains open to 16 October.
25 Sept 2026
BIR asks recyclers to file evidence on the EU draft metal-waste list by 9 October
On 24 September 2026 BIR told members that 24 of 32 assessed non-OECD countries applied for EU ferrous or non-ferrous metal waste, but the 18 September draft would authorise only five. Member evidence is requested by 9 October; the Commission consultation closes 16 October.
24 Sept 2026
EU draft waste list would reroute ferrous scrap toward Turkey and UK exporters
On 22 September 2026 Fastmarkets reported that the Commission's 18 September draft non-OECD waste list is already being treated as a 2027 rerouting of EU ferrous scrap. Eurostat first-half volumes leave Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan and India as the exposed books. Consultation closes 16 October.
23 Sept 2026
German ferrous scrap rolls over in September as recyclers wait on Turkey for October
EUWID’s September survey found German ferrous prices unchanged after the holiday restart. Recyclers expect October markups, led by export demand into Turkey, while Rhine draft and empty rail wagons still delay deliveries.
22 Sept 2026
Italian imported scrap stays flat as mills restock and Alpine rail works delay wagons
On 18 September 2026 Kallanish reported Italian mills’ imported scrap contracts from European suppliers as flat this month. Assofermet said domestic yards reopened with well-stocked mill inventories. RFI closed the Tarvisio–Udine line from 22 August to 20 September.
21 Sept 2026
Recycling Europe: draft waste list would close Egypt, Morocco and Pakistan to metal scrap
On 18 September 2026 Recycling Europe condemned the Commission’s draft non-OECD waste-import list for ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap. Argus reported the next day that Egypt, Morocco, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan would not be authorised for the relevant material. Comments close 16 October.
20 Sept 2026
EGA: withdrawn EU aluminium scrap duty is a net negative for German remelt expansion
On 16 September 2026 EGA CFO Pal Kildemo told Fastmarkets in Budapest that the EU’s withdrawal of a planned 15 percent aluminium-scrap export duty is a net negative for a pending German remelt expansion. What yards, traders and remelters should record.
19 Sept 2026
Parliament votes to extend CBAM to downstream steel and aluminium goods
On 15 September 2026 Parliament voted 464 to 50 to extend CBAM to downstream steel and aluminium goods such as fasteners, wire and springs. Eurofer welcomed the vote; Eurometal said many steel-containing products remain outside. Talks with the Council are next. Scrap under CN 7204 and 7602 is still not a CBAM good.
18 Sept 2026
EU draft waste-import list: India not cleared for metal scrap after May 2027
On 18 September 2026 the European Commission published a draft list of non-OECD countries that may import EU non-hazardous waste after 21 May 2027. Reuters reports India is among destinations not authorised for metal waste. Consultation runs to 16 October.
17 Sept 2026
Rhine low water and scrap logistics: how inland freight reshapes European scrap metal trade
How low Rhine water in 2026 cut barge capacity, raised inland freight and made transport — not scrap generation — the constraint for European yards and mills.
17 Sept 2026
Freight, collection costs and European scrap margins in 2026
Why European scrap margins narrowed in 2026: firm collection costs, inland and ocean freight pressure, weak mill demand, and what to state on a lot.
16 Sept 2026
Licences and permits to trade scrap metal in the European Union
What licences and permits EU scrap traders need: national waste operator registration, yard treatment permits, shipment notification or Annex VII, and when end-of-waste changes the rules.
15 Sept 2026
End-of-waste scrap: when European metal ceases to be waste and why it matters for export
When iron, steel, aluminium and copper scrap cease to be waste under EU rules, and why that status matters for export after the 2027 Waste Shipment Regulation.
15 Sept 2026
CBAM and scrap metal: how carbon rules change steel and aluminium recycling in 2026
CBAM in 2026 covers imported steel and aluminium products, not scrap under CN 7204 and 7602. How that distinction, and the pre-consumer scrap debate, affects European recycling.
15 Sept 2026
Shredded scrap: how fragmentiser steel is specified and sold into mills
Shredded scrap is fragmentiser steel, usually ISRI 211 on export. How it differs from HMS, why mills buy it, and what to put on a lot.
15 Sept 2026
OECD and non-OECD scrap shipments: what a European yard needs to check before loading
From May 2027 EU waste scrap exports split by OECD status. What a yard should check on destination, end-of-waste and documents before a cargo is loaded.
14 Sept 2026
Why the EU wants to limit scrap metal exports and how the rules will work
The EU is tightening scrap metal exports to keep steel and aluminium for its own mills. Waste Shipment Regulation rules from May 2027, a possible 2026 delegated act, and why a planned aluminium export duty was dropped in September 2026.
14 Sept 2026
Who buys European scrap metal: Turkey, South Asia and why the cargo leaves the EU
In 2025 the EU remained the world's largest ferrous scrap exporter. Most of that metal went to Turkish electric-arc mills; India, Pakistan and other Asian buyers take the rest of the seaborne book.
14 Sept 2026
Brass scrap: yellow brass, red brass and how brass recycling is graded
Brass scrap in the B2B trade: how yellow brass, red brass, radiators and refinery grades are specified, and what remelters need on a lot.
13 Sept 2026
Stainless steel scrap: 304, 316, Sabot and how stainless recycling works
Stainless steel scrap explained: what 304 and 316 scrap are, how Sabot is graded, and why mills buy prepared stainless instead of mixed steel.
12 Sept 2026
Aluminium scrap: grades, UBC, extrusions and how aluminium recycling works
Aluminium scrap explained: what aluminium recycling is, how UBC, extrusions and castings are graded, and why remelters buy Taldon, Tata, Tense and Twitch.
11 Sept 2026
Copper scrap: grades, copper wire, bare bright and how copper recycling works
Copper scrap explained: what copper recycling is, how copper wire scrap and bare bright are graded, and why refiners buy Berry, Birch and insulated cable.
10 Sept 2026
How to sell scrap metal: ferrous and non-ferrous lots buyers will take
How to sell scrap metal in the B2B trade: sort ferrous from non-ferrous, name the grade, and offer copper, aluminium and steel as lots a mill or yard can book.
5 Sept 2026
Scrap metal prices: what they depend on and how a lot is actually priced
How scrap metal prices work for copper, aluminium and steel: grade, location, quantity, and why a yard list is not a tradable lot.
4 Sept 2026
HMS scrap: what HMS 1 and HMS 2 are, the 80/20 mix and why mills buy it
HMS scrap explained: what HMS 1 and HMS 2 are, how the 80/20 mix is sold into Turkey and Europe, and why steel mills buy prepared heavy melting steel.
3 Sept 2026
The scrap metal recycling cycle: phases, who does what and where value is created
How ferrous and non-ferrous scrap is recycled in Europe: collection, sorting, processing, trading and melting. Who does each phase, where value is created, and why the cycle matters.
2 Sept 2026
Yards, traders, mills, processors and brokers: who they are and what they do
Yards, traders, mills, processors and brokers in the European scrap market: who they are, what they do, and how a lot travels from the yard floor to the furnace.
2 Sept 2026
ISRI scrap codes: the grades used in trading and what they mean
The ISRI scrap codes used most in metal trading, with clear definitions: HMS 200 and 204, shredded 211, Berry, Birch, Taldon, Zorba, Honey and Sabot.
2 Sept 2026
ISRI nomenclature: what scrap specifications are, who uses them and why they matter
ISRI nomenclature is the scrap trade’s shared grade language. What the specifications are, who uses them in Europe, and why they matter when you buy or sell metal.
2 Sept 2026
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals: what they are, how they differ and why they are recycled
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals explained: what they are, how they differ, where industry uses them, and why scrap metal recycling saves energy and resources.