Scrap
Overview
Argus provides comprehensive and detailed coverage of the global ferrous and non-ferrous scrap markets, with over 1,000 prices assessed by a global network of highly skilled market experts.
Argus’ strength lies in our ability to create appropriate methodologies for the trading dynamics of a specific spot market and to provide mechanisms for valuing scrap alloys.
Participants in the scrap industry rely on our extensive price data to act as an independent contract settlement mechanism, and use our powerful tools, like the Argus Alloy Calculator, to estimate the intrinsic value of highly engineered alloys.
Ferrous coverage
Argus offers a comprehensive regional view of the most active spot markets for ferrous scrap in regions around the world. Each price is available for direct comparison in multiple markets, with currency and unit of measurement conversions available to standardise charts and facilitate detection of favourable trade conditions.
Distinguished by either fob dealer or delivered to consumer inco terms, all prices are aligned with common industry specifications for that region. Explore the full list of scrap prices and specifications, including the length of history available on the Argus Metals platform for the grades assessed.
- Bundles
- Busheling
- Foundry/specialty
- Heavy melt
- Machine shop turnings
- Plate and structural
- Shredded scrap
- Tool steel
- Stainless and super alloys
- Alloy Calculator, where the current value of any alloy can be calculated by an intrinsic value formula in the absence of sufficient liquidity to produce a proper assessment
Non-ferrous coverage
Argus provides the full range of non-ferrous coverage from scrap price assessments on UBC, zorba, taint, tweak, and twitch products, as well as exchange data (30-minute delay LME and Comex prices are standard with Argus products) and global base metal premiums. Explore the full list of scrap prices in each non-ferrous category and visit the exchange data page to understand the unique value that Argus brings through its analysis of global exchange prices.
- Aluminium prices
- Aluminium alloy prices
- Brass/bronze prices
- Copper prices
- Lead prices
- Nickel prices
- Stainless and alloys
- Zinc prices
- Alloy Calculator, including over 200 predefined common alloys
- Exchange data
Highlights of North American coverage
Argus’ coverage of the North American scrap market focuses on spot market trading patterns within the most active regional domestic trading locations, as well as on export transactions. The full value chain is represented in the suite of Argus scrap assessments, from collected at yard to delivered to consumer prices:
- 8 containerised scrap price locations
- 14 consumer buying scrap price locations, including US and Canada
- 8 export yard scrap buying price locations
- 4 dealer selling scrap price locations
- 139 regional US and Canada non-ferrous scrap yard collection prices
- Prime and obsolete grades of scrap price assessments
- Mill and foundry grades of scrap price assessments: Titanium, stainless and scrap alloy pricing
- Southern US busheling and shredded weighted average assessments
Highlights of European coverage
Argus Scrap Markets provides context and intelligence to European domestic scrap markets to help steel mills, scrap suppliers, buyers and industrial manufacturers gain a greater understanding of the markets in which they operate. Argus produces over 50 European scrap prices assessments, including:
- German domestic ferrous scrap prices
- Spanish domestic ferrous scrap prices
- Spanish imported scrap prices
- UK domestic ferrous scrap prices
- Russia, including St Petersburg, dockside price
Highlights of Asian coverage
Argus carries Asian scrap prices from a variety of mature scrap-generating markets, and provides insightful analysis of deep-sea trades and short-sea trades. Argus covers the full scope of steel mill purchasing activity for electric arc furnace-based production, including stainless and engineered steels, in recognition of the global nature of many steel feedstocks purchased by mills across the world:
- Taiwan imported ferrous scrap prices
- India imported ferrous scrap prices
- Pakistan imported ferrous scrap prices
- Bangladesh imported ferrous scrap prices
- China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan imported aluminium scrap prices
- China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan imported copper scrap prices
Argus carries a variety of global scrap prices in each of its three core products — Argus Scrap Markets, Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets. To discover the combination of products that will provide the most complete coverage to serve your company’s needs, contact us for a consultation. Information about Argus subscription options can be found here.
Latest scrap news
Browse the latest market moving news on the scrap industry.
Viewpoint: Asia scrap set to face uncertainty in 2025
Viewpoint: Asia scrap set to face uncertainty in 2025
Singapore, 23 December (Argus) — The Asian scrap metal sector is poised to face a tumultuous start in 2025, coming under pressure from a supply glut of steel exports from China, persistently low steel demand and uncertainty stemming from mounting protectionist measures to safeguard domestic steel businesses. An ongoing oversupply of steel products is expected to exert continuous downward pressure on Asia's ferrous sector, at least in the first half-quarter of 2025. China's crude steel production is set to surpass the 1bn t mark again this year as production stood at 850.7mn t across January-October. And it is clear that domestic steel demand in the country has lagged behind supply. China exported 101.2mn t from January-November this year, marking a 22.6pc spike from the same period in 2023. The surge was particularly evident in October, when exports grew by 40.8pc year on year, hitting an eight-year high as Chinese mills sought export markets to relieve domestic sales pressures. Beijing has announced a series of stimulus measures since late September, but the impact of these measures so far has been limited to cushioning falls in the property market as the recovery in property sales has been largely confined to top-tier cities, and market participants expect any recovery to remain subdued in 2025. Taiwan Taiwan's ferrous sector has seen a series of setbacks this year in the form of natural calamities, geopolitical tensions, inclement weather and increased competition from cheap semi-finished steel from Russia, China and Indonesia. In addition, real-estate demand has been significantly lower since the third quarter of this year after Taiwan's central bank tightened credit controls. The weaker real-estate market has driven many construction companies to suspend or delay their projects, which dented steel and steel scrap demand further. The ferrous scrap price and demand outlook is mixed, and many participants foresee no improvements even by February or March. South Korea South Korean steelmakers have faced significant challenges this year, and the world's sixth-largest steel producer is expected to face persistent headwinds in 2025 on the global economic slowdown, stiff competition from other low-cost steel producers, potential tariffs under US president-elect Donald Trump's second term and rising electricity prices. South Korea's leading steelmaker, Posco, shut down its No 1 wire rod mill at the Pohang Steel Works in November, after 45 years of operation in response to a the global oversupply of wire rods and intensified competition from low-cost imports, particularly from China. Hyundai has also shut down its Pohang No 2 plant, which has capacity of 700,000t/yr for long products used in the construction sector. The closure of these operations, coupled with prolonged low demand, probably will limit South Korean buyers' appetite for steel scrap in the first quarter of next year. Vietnam But there is hope for another key Asian steelmaking and consumption hub — Vietnam. Finished steel product sales rose by 15.6pc on the year to 24.5mn t in the first 10 months of this year, while steel exports grew by 6.2pc to 7.1mn t, according to the Vietnam Steel Association. Scrap imports also increased, by 11.7pc on the year, during the period. Market participants expect domestic construction steel demand to increase next year, driven by government-led infrastructure projects aimed at achieving a GDP growth target of 6.5-7.0pc. On the flip side, Vietnam steelmakers are facing various anti-dumping investigations in other markets, and seaborne steel prices will be under pressure if the Chinese domestic steel market continues to show weakness in 2025. In addition, the export outlook from China may ease, with more countries introducing protectionist measures to safeguard their local steel industries. Several more countries this year have implemented or are considering imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel products. These include major economies such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the EU, India and Canada. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan carmakers Honda, Nissan start formal merger talks
Japan carmakers Honda, Nissan start formal merger talks
Tokyo, 23 December (Argus) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan said today they have officially started merger talks and are aiming to close a deal by June 2025. Fellow Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi is also considering joining the transaction. Honda and Nissan have signed an initial agreement to discuss a merger, including by setting up a joint holding company under which the current brands would operate as subsidiaries. Honda will appoint a majority of the holding company's board members including its president or representative director, Honda's president Toshihiro Mibe said on 23 December. Mitsubishi will make a final decision on whether to participate in the negotiations before the end of January 2025. A Honda representative told Argus on 18 December that the firm was exploring a possible merger with Nissan. Collaboration on the electrification of automobiles is one of the major reasons for the merger, according to Honda and Nissan. The firms agreed a strategic partnership in March to work together on electrification, studying possible areas of co-operation in developing automotive software platforms, core components relating to electric vehicles (EVs) and complementary products. Honda aims to electrify all its new cars by 2040 and is investing ¥10 trillion ($64bn) by 2030 partly to reduce battery costs, which account for around 30-40pc of the total cost of producing EVs, Mibe said in May. Honda's combined sales of EVs and fuel cell EVs (FCEVs) more than doubled to around 42,000 units in 2023, according to the company. But this only accounts for around 1pc of its total sales. Further investments on electrification by a single manufacturer are not feasible, Mibe said on 23 December. Nissan produced 3.4mn vehicles in 2023. It does not provide a precise breakdown for global EV sales, although it said in August 2023 that such sales had surpassed 1mn units since its first delivery in 2010. This is dwarfed by foreign EV competitors, including Chinese producer BYD and US manufacturer Tesla, whose sales exceeded 3mn and 1.8mn units respectively in 2023 alone. The merger is also designed to optimise facilities owned by Honda and Nissan, Mibe said. But he denied that it would lead to a reduction in production capacity or asset cuts. The companies instead aim to expand output, Mibe added, although he did not disclose a detailed plan. Nissan is struggling to make a profit, partly because of weak EV demand. The company's net profit slumped by 94pc on the year to ¥19.2bn in April-September, prompting it to cut global production capacity, including for EVs, by 20pc to around 4mn units/yr. Nissan's financial struggles will not affect its collaboration with Honda, but it needs to accelerate its financial recovery, Nissan chief executive Makoto Uchida said on 7 November. But Mibe suggested on 23 December that Nissan's financial situation could cause the proposed merger to be scrapped. Japan's trade and industry ministry (Meti) has yet to make any official comment on the merger talks. But Meti minister Yoji Muto said on 20 December that restructuring the industry would generally help increase the value of private entity and promote innovation. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU HRC imports drop a quarter on safeguards, AD probe
EU HRC imports drop a quarter on safeguards, AD probe
London, 19 December (Argus) — EU hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports have dropped by 24pc year on year in October, as a result of the safeguards changes introduced earlier in the year and the anti-dumping (AD) probe on key suppliers launched in August. Volumes amounted to 1.16mn t. The drop was underpinned by sharp declines from Japan, Egypt, Vietnam, Taiwan and South Korea. Meanwhile, other countries stepped in to fill the supply gap, such as Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia — deemed less risky for buyers, with all ramping up their volumes year on year by 292pc, 69.5pc and 172.8pc, respectively. Turkey was the top supplier with 222,760t in October. Imports from Indonesia also notably increased, by 41.5pc on the year to 29,140t. This volume will be likely to grow over November-March, but the country is expected to no longer be exempt from the safeguard measures from April onwards, market participants said. The European Commission this week launched an early review of the tariff-rate quotas, with changes, including on the developing countries list, to be introduced from April. Import supply is likely to drop further over the rest of the year, and into the first quarter, with January the last month in which residual larger volumes from countries under investigation can be custom cleared. Sales from Japan, Egypt, Vietnam and India, all under the scope of the AD probe , have mostly stopped over the current quarter. Cold-rolled coil (CRC) imports are meanwhile on the rise, with 281,336t clearing in October, up by 33.4pc on the year and 53.5pc on the month. Taiwan was the top supplier with 64,208t, followed by Turkey and India with just over 40,000t each. The increase in Taiwanese imports, which are expected to rise further, have fuelled talks in the market of a potential AD investigation. Similarly, hot-dipped galvanised (HDG) imports rose by 60.1pc on the year to 802,688t, of which 270,226t was from Vietnam, representing a 279.1pc increase year on year. Market participants have expected a probe on Vietnamese HDG for a while, but following the safeguards review launch said that a reduction in quota volumes might hit downstream products such as HDG and CRC in particular. Plate imports have also nudged up, but more modestly, by 6.9pc on the year in October to 222,133t. Rebar and wire rod arrivals were up by 170.6pc and 46.5pc on the year, respectively. By Lora Stoyanova EU HRC imports t Oct-24 ±% Oct-23 Total 1,164,750 -24 Turkey 222,760 292 Japan 164,691 -38.2 Egypt 148,979 -19.7 Vietnam 144,512 -54.7 Taiwan 127,350 -54.5 Ukraine 103,003 69.5 South Korea 90,674 -45.9 Serbia 55,372 172.8 Australia 30,690 -62.4 Indonesia 29,140 41.5 — GTT Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Strikes at Australian commodity ports to continue
Strikes at Australian commodity ports to continue
Sydney, 19 December (Argus) — Workers at major commodity ports across Australia will strike next week, in response to stalling negotiations with port operators. Queensland In northern Queensland, unions representing almost 200 workers have notified the Gladstone Ports (GPC) that they plan to launch work stoppages at the LNG and coal hub next week, a source told Argus. The strike actions follow an earlier day-long work stoppage involving over 100 workers at the port that began earlier this week. The dispute between GPC and its workers is centred around wage and rostering proposals. GPC and unions representing its workers have not scheduled any further bargaining meetings, multiple sources have told Argus . Gladstone's ship queue has exceeded 30 ships multiple times since work stoppages began on 17 December. This compared with a queue of 48 ships in December 2023, after Cyclone Jasper forced three other north Queensland ports to turn vessels away for four days. To the south of Gladstone, 100 workers at the Qube-operated Port of Brisbane will also stop working between 23-27 December, according to maritime logistics firm GAC. The stoppage announcement follows a day-long strike at multiple Qube ports , which began on 16 December. Before the strike began, a Qube representative warned that strikes at its ports would "inevitably [cause] disruption to supply chains for key commodities like fertiliser, grain, and steel." The Port of Brisbane is a major oil and meat port. New South Wales Along Australia's eastern coast, workers at Qube's major coal, grain, and fertiliser port in Port Kembla are planning to strike for a longer period of time than their colleagues in other parts of the country. GAC has reported that workers will launch 13 rolling work stoppages at the port between 20 December and 3 January. There are 141 members of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) participated in a strike authorisation vote at the site in early September, and have been engaged in industrial actions since then. Port Kembla also faced a day-long work stoppage earlier this week. Northern Territory Union members in Darwin are planning to not work for 1½ day beginning on 23 December. Like the Port of Brisbane, Darwin tends to handle livestock and oil products. But only 37 workers were eligible to participate in a successful mid-September union ballot authorising work stoppages at the port. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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