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.
Stay ahead of the scrap metal markets
To be informed of relevant content, sign up to Argus Scrap Metal Market Highlights. Each newsletter issue provides key prices, selected news, downloadable insight papers, podcasts, and on-demand videos across the global scrap markets. Our coverage spans both ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, enabling you to explore the most active spot markets for scrap around the world.
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Browse the latest market moving news on the scrap industry.
Japan to boost recycled materials supply
Japan to boost recycled materials supply
Tokyo, 21 April (Argus) — The Japanese government has adopted a circular economy action plan to strengthen recycling of critical minerals, metals and plastics, aiming to expand domestic supply of recycled materials and reduce reliance on overseas resources, it announced today. The plan targets around ¥1 trillion ($7bn) in combined public and private investment by 2030, as Tokyo seeks to enhance economic security and industrial competitiveness. The government positions the shift to a circular economy as an urgent national priority that goes beyond environmental protection. In the metals sector, the plan sets targets for recycled material supply by 2030. It aims for recycled aluminium to account for around 40pc of domestic production of rolled aluminium products. Recycled sources are expected to make up about 30pc of domestically produced electrolytic copper, while around 30pc of materials used in rare earth-based permanent magnets will be supplied through recycling. For steel, the government will expand the availability of high-grade scrap used as feedstock for "green steel", which is produced with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Processing capacity to produce such high-quality scrap will be increased by around 2mn t/yr, while collection of scrap and industrial offcuts will also be strengthened. In plastics, Japan will promote the use of recycled materials to reduce dependence on imported feedstocks such as crude oil and naphtha. The government will require manufacturers to formulate and report usage plans, and will consider phased mandates on recycled content by the 2028 fiscal year. The plan also calls for strengthening recycling infrastructure, including investment in facilities and the development of AI-based sorting technologies to improve quality and reduce costs. It includes support for recycling hubs, networks, and processing, storage and smelting capacity. The move comes on the back of intensifying global competition for resources. Countries are increasingly seeking to secure not only primary resources but also recycled materials. China has tightened export controls on critical minerals while strengthening domestic recycling, and the EU has introduced stricter rules on exports of electronic scrap and expanded the use of recycled plastics. In rare earth supply chains, export controls by certain countries have raised concerns over supply stability, prompting Japan to accelerate efforts to secure domestic resources. The government will incorporate the plan into its upcoming growth strategy and basic policy on economic and fiscal management to be released this summer. By Fumito Nagase Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
European steel mills signal €50-70/t long product hikes
European steel mills signal €50-70/t long product hikes
London, 17 April (Argus) — Italian and German steel mills signalled to buyers at a major industry event in Dusseldorf this week that they will increase their offers by €50-70/t ($59.00-82.50/t) next week. Rising energy prices are exerting cost pressure on mills, but margins have already strengthened since recent product price hikes were introduced, and they are likely to rise further as increased protection from imports bolsters domestic producers' position in the European market. Major price hikes may result in orders being lost because of substantial stocks of imported product still present in many European markets, but the combined effect of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs for importers, tightened EU safeguards from July, and increased energy and transport costs will ultimately push buyers to accept new levels, participants at the industry event said. "Stronger price leadership is needed from major producers," a mill source said. "It is much better in this situation to lose an order at €700/t than to lose an order at €650/t." Another mill suggested that substantial price hikes will be accepted by mid-May. "Yes, there are import inventories, but you can never predict which rebar size you are going to run out of first," the source said. Buyers also indicated that they were prepared for prices to jump again, on top of the €50-70/t increases already accepted since the US-Israel war with Iran started to disrupt global energy supply at the start of March. Wire rod processors expressed concern over the lack of CBAM and safeguards protection until 2028 for products further down the supply chain, which could present major difficulties for some companies in combination with the likely €100-140/t increase in wire rod prices over March and April. German rebar producers indicated to buyers that offers next week will be around €710/t delivered, €50/t higher than traded levels in the past two weeks. A large Italian mill said it had not made any offers this week, and that its increase next week would likely be higher than €50/t, following last week's official offer price, not yet accepted by buyers, of €680/t ex-works. Recent traded prices in the Italian domestic market have been closer to €650/t ex-works, while offers were noted on Friday from major Italian producers at €670-680/t delivered in Poland, with truck costs likely to be well above €60/t. By Brendan Kjellberg-Motton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Iran war prompts shift to fob steel export offers
Iran war prompts shift to fob steel export offers
London, 16 April (Argus) — Steelmakers in major exporting countries are switching from cost and freight (cfr) to free on board (fob) offers as the US-Israel war with Iran pushes up ocean freight and disrupts shipping routes. Many Asian and Turkish mills are reluctant to offer flat steel on a cfr basis because uncertain delivery times and higher freight costs threaten margins, industry participants said. Offers on fob terms — which make the buyer responsible for all costs after the goods are loaded at the port of departure — are now increasingly common, buyers in the Middle East and Europe said. "I think all exporting mills are scared to offer cfr in the Middle East. They will probably be okay with fob, and even that with caution," a UAE-based importer said. The strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with no clear resolution in sight after US-Iran peace talks failed over the weekend of 11-12 April. Sellers have been exploring alternative routes, such as shipping material to the Jeddah in Saudi Arabia or Sohar in Oman ports and then transporting it to the UAE and other markets by road, sources said, but volumes remained limited because of elevated freight costs and uncertain transit times. Indian hot-rolled coil (HRC) offers to the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region were suspended after the war began at the end of February. An Indian mill was forced to postpone its March shipments to the region because of the war. It has now converted some prior bookings to fob from cfr, making the buyer responsible for transportation to the destination market. India's finished steel exports to the GCC region accounted for about 12pc of its overall steel exports over the past 11 months, government data show. GCC domestic flat steel prices have also risen as imports slowed and raw material supply was disrupted. Saudi producer Hadeed increased HRC offers for June shipment, while a major UAE galvanised coil producer was heard facing supply disruption that limited export availability and reduced spot sales to the domestic market, traders said. In the European import market, challenges in fixing freight rates and uncertainty surrounding margins have also prompted a move to fob offers. An Indian mill said it was scaling back HRC exports to Europe because of a sharp rise in shipping costs. Freight rates from India to Europe for volumes of 25,000-40,000t have risen to about $80/t or more, from $50-60/t earlier. The mill has also cautioned its European buyers that delivery of cargoes booked in January and February was likely to be delayed owing to vessel shortages. By Amruta Khandekar and Elif Eyuboglu Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Swiss Trasteel to list on Nasdaq
Swiss Trasteel to list on Nasdaq
London, 14 April (Argus) — Lugano-based steel trader Trasteel intends to list on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to a regulatory filing seen by Argus . Trasteel intends to link up with a Cayman Islands-based special purpose acquisition company, Sizzle Acquisition Corp. II, to form a new Luxembourg-based entity, Pubco, with a Cayman Islands wholly-owned subsidiary. Trasteel and Sizzle II intend to list Pubco, in which both will be shareholders, with the transaction expected to close by the end of 2026. Trasteel said it has more than $1.8bn in revenue from over 1.5mn t/yr across steel, energy, metallics, derivatives, non-ferrous and ferro-alloys businesses, according a presentation seen by Argus , with $60mn in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) last year and $7.5mn in profit. The presentation said the war in Iran represented an opportunity for its business and would be positive for Ebitda. The merger values Trasteel at $800mn. It also said Trasteel Holding has no debt, with all debt at a subsidiary level ring-fenced with no parent guarantee, and "structurally segregated from the trading perimeter". Trasteel is currently owned by Fratelli Cosulich, Fantex and Trasteel chief executive Gianfranco Imperato. Trasteel's existing shareholders will roll over all their equity as part of the deal, which Sizzle said will give the combined business a pro forma enterprise value of about $1.32bn. Equity released from the transaction will be used to expand the trading platform through "onboarding of senior traders from major competitors". Trasteel had been interested in acquiring major steel trader Dith with a Chinese partner, when Dith's owners were looking to sell the business. Talks with an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund appear to have stalled. "We anticipate global demand for steel and other metals to continue to increase and believe that Trasteel is well-positioned to benefit by such increased demand," Sizzle II vice-chairman Jamie Karson said. "The Trasteel team, led by Gianfranco Imperato and CFO [chief financial officer] Federico Guiducci, is highly experienced, strategic and focused on delivering results for its shareholders. We are thrilled to bring this quality company to market." By Colin Richardson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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