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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EU steel ETS costs could hit €8.2bn by 2031
EU steel ETS costs could hit €8.2bn by 2031
Brussels, 24 September (Argus) — Europe's steel industry could see annual carbon costs rise from around €3.4bn ($3.9bn) in 2026 to €5.7bn in 2030 and €8.2bn in 2031 under proposed changes to the EU emissions trading system (ETS), European steel association Eurofer said on 24 September. "Free allocation should support decarbonisation investments and, in combination with an effective carbon border adjustment mechanism [CBAM] provide effective carbon leakage protection," the association said. It is seeking changes to the EU's CBAM, calling for a significant slow down in the CBAM factor — the rate at which free allowance allocation is phased out — over the next five years ( see table ). This would compensate for the mechanism's flaws, such as the lack of an export protection solution and resource reshuffling risks, alongside the lack of enabling conditions for decarbonisation investments in the current European and global macro-economic environment, Eurofer said. The lobby group is also calling on the EU to extend beyond 2030 a provision under which the main steel benchmark, hot metal, is based on prevailing blast-furnace technology rather than being reduced significantly under assumptions of a larger share of the low-carbon direct reduced iron (DRI) technology in overall production capacity. Without an extension, the hot metal benchmark value for 2031-35 could fall by as much as 50pc, Eurofer said. The benchmark is used to calculate each sector's free allowance allocations under the ETS. Eurofer is also calling for a structural solution to protect exports from CBAM-covered sectors and downstream industries. "Withdrawing carbon leakage protection too quickly risks undermining the very investments needed to decarbonise," Eurofer director-general Axel Eggert said. Eggert said investment decisions have been taken on around 35mn t/yr of low-carbon steel capacity initially planned to become operational between 2027 and 2032. But projects covering more than 10mn t/yr of steel capacity have stalled as the business case has weakened. The group also proposed that all revenues generated from the phase-out of free allowances for CBAM sectors should be reinvested fully in those sectors. Eurofer estimates carbon costs for conventional blast-furnace steel could reach around €100/t by 2030 and exceed €200/t from 2031, levels it says would render the production route economically unviable. This assumes emission allowance prices at €100/t CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2026-30 and at €150/t CO2e in 2031-35, an annual reduction rate of heat and power benchmarks at 2pc, and cross sectoral correction factors in line with scenario "CL 90_50" in the commission's impact assessments from the July ETS review proposal. The association estimates a free allocation shortage of 50pc in 2030, and 76pc in 2031, under the same proposal. The carbon cost estimations also assume that EU steel production is at 130mn t — on par with 2024 levels, and decarbonisation investments are commissioned by 2030 and fully operational as of 2032 — with a capacity of 17mn t of DRI and 36mn t of electric arc furnace steel production capacity. By Dafydd ab Iago Eurofer's proposal for CBAM factor % 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 European Commission's proposal 97.5 95.0 91.5 81.0 59.0 48.0 37.5 27.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 0.0 Eurofer proposal 97.5 95.0 95.0 92.5 90.0 82.0 65.0 50.0 35.0 20.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 — Eurofer Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU car registrations rise 5pc on year in August
EU car registrations rise 5pc on year in August
London, 24 September (Argus) — New EU car registrations rose by just under 5pc in August compared with the same month a year earlier, broadly in line with growth since the start of this year. New EU car registrations increased by 4.5pc on the year to almost 710,000 units in August, while January-August registrations grew by 5.3pc from a year earlier to 7.5mn units, according to data from the European automobile manufacturers association Acea. The five biggest countries for new car registrations all saw year-on-year rises of more than 2pc in August, with Spain and Poland leading with increases of 12pc and 8pc, respectively. Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) remained strong, driven by market support measures and a broader model offering, Acea said. But registration data suggest that EV adoption is largely displacing gasoline and diesel vehicle sales rather than driving significant growth in overall vehicle demand. Across the EU, EFTA and the UK, total new car registrations in January-August rose by 5.8pc from a year earlier, while battery EV registrations increased by 39pc and plug-in hybrid registrations rose by 22pc. Gasoline and diesel registrations fell by 18pc and 19pc, respectively, over the same period. By Alice Collyer New car registrations Country Aug 26 ±% Aug 25 EU 708,211 4.5 EU-EFTA-UK 832,637 5.3 Germany 212,563 2.6 France 94,349 7.4 Italy 69,420 3.2 Spain 68,544 11.8 Poland 45,907 8.1 — Acea Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s Queensland fast-tracks green steel projects
Australia’s Queensland fast-tracks green steel projects
Sydney, 24 September (Argus) — Australia's Queensland state government is streamlining approvals for three green steel projects to bolster domestic steel manufacturing and reduce the state's reliance on imported steel, the government said on 23 September. The centre-right Liberal National party has designated the three developments as prescribed projects, allowing the state's planning minister to expedite the approvals processes. The fast-tracked projects include two mills that will utilise electric arc furnace (EAF) technologies to produce steel using recycled scrap material as a feedstock, and a recycled metal processing facility. Australian steelmaker Alter Steel plans to start construction of its 500,000 t/yr Pinkenba recycling and manufacturing facility near Brisbane city in 2027, with first production expected in 2028 or later. Fellow steelmaker Future Forgeworks aims to begin construction of its 350,000 t/yr Swanbank steel mill in southeast Queensland in October-December, targeting completion in 2028. Scrap metal recycler Sims Metal's A$215mn ($153mn) Pinkenba Redevelopment Project, a recycled metal processing facility, was also granted prescribed project status. Australia currently has two major steelworks including BlueScope's 2.1mn t/yr Port Kembla facility in New South Wales, and the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks, which shuttered its blast furnace on 14 September. The government has pledged over A$2.88bn to support Whyalla's transition to a low-emissions steelmaking facility. By Emma Partis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil’s Vale to buy Ligga stake for sinter supply
Brazil’s Vale to buy Ligga stake for sinter supply
Sao Paulo, 23 September (Argus) — Brazilian iron ore producer Vale will buy a 30pc stake in Brazilian miner Ligga as part of an agreement to secure exclusive access to Ligga's soon-to-expand sinter feed output. Ligga plans to increase iron ore production capacity to 8mn metric tonnes (t)/yr from 2mn t/yr, with the expanded operation expected to come on line in June 2028, Vale said on 22 September. Vale signed a long-term agreement to purchase 100pc of Ligga's sinter feed production, including additional supply from the planned expansion. The expansion includes a new beneficiation plant, infrastructure works and a rail solution. Ligga operates the Ferro Sul mine in the municipalities of Parauapebas and Curionópolis, in the Carajás region of Pará state in northern Brazil. Vale will integrate the additional volumes into its existing logistics infrastructure through the Carajás Railroad and Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal in São Luís, Maranhão. Vale will acquire the minority stake through a capital contribution of approximately $190mn, it said. Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary corporate and regulatory approvals. By Isabel Filgueiras Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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