Spain’s April scrap imports fall by nearly a third

Ferrous scrap imports into Spain fell in April by almost a third, weighed down by stemmed flows from major supplier Portugal.

Spanish steelmakers imported 227,000t of ferrous scrap in April, a 28.3pc fall on the year, customs data show.

Lower overall imports do not paint the full picture of mills' demand, with appetite increasing through March into early April — reflected in rising short-sea prices, which were further supported by increasing prices in other regional markets, such as bellwether Turkey.

Import prices fell through April, weighed down by poorer sentiment and a weakening in the wider seaborne scrap complex, with sellers lowering bids in mid-April before diverging with buyers on workable levels later in the month.

Domestic scrap prices were unchanged in April, with mills looking to maintain adequate supply from local sources.

April's decline in imports was largely driven by lower flows from neighbouring Portugal — typically a major supplier for Spain — with inflows falling by almost 90pc to just under 10,000t.

Portuguese steelmakers showed healthy demand for scrap feedstock during the same period, leading to less material flowing out. Importers also brought in 133,000t of scrap to Portugal in April, customs data show, the highest monthly total since November 2020, further signalling higher appetite.

Scrap imports to Spain from other regional suppliers largely increased on an annual basis in April, but the uptick was not enough to offset the loss of material from Portugal.

Inflows from France notched up by 5.2pc to 139,000t, while imports from the UK and the Netherlands climbed by 39.6pc and 164pc to 48,200t and 12,700t, respectively.

Imports were higher in January-March, but the drop in April offset previous rises. Spain imported 948,000t of ferrous scrap in January-April, a 0.9pc rise from the same period in 2024.

By Corey Aunger

Heavy melt scrap import prices in Spain and Turkey, January-June