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.
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.
Australia's Grange Resources delays iron mine expansion
Australia's Grange Resources delays iron mine expansion
Sydney, 19 December (Argus) — Australian iron miner Grange Resources has pushed back its Tasmanian Savage River magnetite mine expansion timeline because of slumping ore prices, the company announced today. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2025 with completion set for 2029. But Grange said "[its] current financial position does not support proceeding according to the previous [expansion] timeline." The company does not yet know when it will proceed with the expansion, but will inform investors after making a decision. The company had expected the Savage River expansion to boost its iron product sales by 2.9mn t / yr to 5.54mn t/yr in 2029, compared with 2.64mn t in the 2023-24 financial year, it said earlier this year. Grange has produced 655,781t of iron pellets at Savage River since January. Argus- assessed prices for iron ore fines 65pc Fe cfr Qingdao fell to $115.50/t on 18 December from $146.02/t a year earlier. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Fed cuts rate, signals 2025 half point cut: Update
US Fed cuts rate, signals 2025 half point cut: Update
Adds Powell comments, projections. Houston, 18 December (Argus) — The US Federal Reserve cut its target interest rate by 25 basis points today, its third cut of the year, and signaled it was likely to slow its pace of rate cuts by half next year from prior projections to maintain progress in bringing down inflation. "We are looking for further progress on inflation as well as continued strength in the labor market," Fed chair Jerome Powell told reporters. "As long as the economy and labor market are solid, we can be cautious as we consider further cuts." The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the federal funds rate to 4.25-4.50pc from the prior range of 4.5-4.75pc. This followed a quarter point reduction in November and a half-point cut made in mid-September, the first cut since 2020. The Fed penciled in 50 basis points worth of cuts for 2025, down from 100 basis points projected in the September median economic projections of Fed board members and Fed bank presidents. Projections show Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation ending 2025 at 2.5pc, higher than the 2.1pc projected in September. PCE inflation is seen ending 2024 at 2.4pc, slightly up from 2.3pc projected in September. Headline consumer prices topped out above 9pc in mid-2022. The unemployment rate is projected to end 2025 at 4.3pc, slightly lower than the 4.4pc projected in September. GDP is projected to slow to an annual 2.1pc growth at the end of next year, slightly up from the 2pc projected in September. Unemployment is expected to end 2024 at 4.2pc and GDP growth at 2.5pc. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Fed cuts rate, signals half point cut next year
US Fed cuts rate, signals half point cut next year
Houston, 18 December (Argus) — The US Federal Reserve cut its target interest rate by 25 basis points today, its third cut of the year, and signaled only a half percentage point of rate cuts next year to avoid any resurgence of inflation. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the federal funds rate to 4.25-4.50pc from the prior range of 4.5-4.75pc. This followed a quarter point reduction in November and a half-point cut made in mid-September, the first cut since 2020. The Fed penciled in 50 basis points worth of cuts for 2025, down from 100 basis points projected in the September median economic projections of Fed board members and Fed bank presidents. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Mexico steelmaking expansions fuel scrap demand
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Explore our scrap products
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Key price assessments
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