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.
US inflation quickens to 3.3pc in March, gasoline soars
US inflation quickens to 3.3pc in March, gasoline soars
Houston, 10 April (Argus) — US inflation surged to an annual 3.3pc in March, lifted by higher war-driven energy costs, including the largest monthly gain for gasoline on record. The consumer price index rose at the fastest pace since mid-2024, climbing from 2.4pc in the 12 months through February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The gain was in line with estimates of economists surveyed by Trading Economics. Energy rose to an annual 12.5pc in March compared with a 0.5pc annual gain in February. The 10.9pc monthly gain in energy was the largest for a single month since September 2005. Gasoline surged by an annual 18.9pc in March after falling by 5.6pc in February. Gasoline's monthly gain was 21.2pc, the largest monthly gain since records began in 1967, according to BLS. Fuel oil rose by 44.2pc in March from a year earlier, following a 6.2pc annual gain in February. The 30.7pc monthly gain in fuel oil was the highest monthly gain since February 2000, according to BLS. Energy services rose by an annual 5pc in March compared with a 6.3pc gain in February. Electricity rose by 4.6pc compared with a 4.8pc gain in February. Airline fares rose by 14.9pc following a 7.1pc gain the prior month. Core drop, flat Fed rate still expected So called core inflation, which strips out more volatile food and energy, rose by 2.6pc compared with a 2.5pc gain the prior month. "Looking ahead, core CPI inflation still looks set to fall this year, now that nearly all the tariff costs have been passed through to consumer prices, unit labor costs are rising at a sub-2pc pace, and new rents are essentially flat," Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a note. Fed funds futures suggest the Federal Reserve is likely to keep its target rate unchanged at 3.5-3.75pc through the end of the year, with about a 24pc probability of one quarter-point rate cut by December and just a 1.1 point chance of a rate hike. Services less energy services, considered core energy services, rose by 3pc compared with a 2.9pc gain the prior month. Medical care services rose by 3.7pc following a 4.1pc annual gain. Food rose by an annual 2.7pc following a 3.1pc gain. Meat rose by 6.8pc, down from 8.6pc. Shelter rose by 3pc, unchanged from the prior month. New vehicles rose by 0.5pc while used vehicle prices fell by 3.2pc in March from a year prior, both unchanged from a month earlier. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s scrap export tender hits 3‑year high in April
Japan’s scrap export tender hits 3‑year high in April
Shanghai, 9 April (Argus) — The Japanese scrap dealer cooperative Kanto Tetsugen export tender continued its strong upward momentum in April, reaching its highest level since March 2023. A total of 10,000t of H2 scrap was awarded at ¥54,329/t ($342/t) free alongside ship (fas) today, up by ¥4,208/t from March, Kanto Tetsugen said. This is equivalent to ¥55,329/t ($348.5/t) on an fob basis. The tender cargo is likely to be shipped to Bangladesh again, market participants indicated, combined shipment with shindachi cargoes to optimize freight costs. The seaborne market was surprised by the tender result as it was far above expectations. Prior to the tender, most overseas buyers were targeting below ¥52,000/t fob for H2, even as available offers remained limited. In the domestic market, H2 prices were around ¥51,000-52,000/t, while dockside collection prices stood at ¥51,000-51,500/t fas. Traders are now watching how much Tokyo Steel will raise its domestic purchase prices in response to the sharply higher tender outcome. Most Japanese traders expect the tender result to drive export offers higher, although it remains uncertain whether overseas buyers can match these levels. "Export negotiations will become increasingly difficult due to the widening price gap," a Japanese trader said. The Argus daily assessment for H2 scrap fob Japan stood at ¥51,300/t on 8 April, compared with a March monthly average of ¥48,950/t fob. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Recent deep-sea and short-sea cfr Turkey scrap deals
Recent deep-sea and short-sea cfr Turkey scrap deals
London, 8 April (Argus) — A summary of the most recent deep-sea and short-sea cfr Turkey ferrous scrap deals seen by Argus. Ferrous scrap short-sea trades (average composition price, cif Marmara) Date Volume, t Price, $ Shipment Buyer Seller Composition Index relevant 7-Apr 3,000 380 (80:20) April Samsun Bulgaria HMS 1/2 80:20 Y Ferrous scrap deep-sea trades (average composition price, cfr Turkey) Date Volume, t Price, $ Shipment Buyer Seller Composition Index relevant 2-Apr 35,000 400 (80:20) May Iskenderun USA HMS #1, P&S, shred Y 2-Apr 35,000 400 (80:20) May Izmir Cont.Europe HMS 1/2 75:25, P&S, shred Y 31-Mar 50,000 402 (80:20) May Marmara Canada HMS 1/2 95:5, P&S, shred Y Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Iran steel supply unlikely to benefit from ceasefire
Iran steel supply unlikely to benefit from ceasefire
London, 8 April (Argus) — Iran's steel production is unlikely to recover swiftly despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran late on Tuesday that could bring relief from higher energy prices and potentially enable shipping to resume through the strait of Hormuz. Damage to major Iranian steel producers Mobarakeh Steel and Khuzestan Steel after air strikes at the end of March have resulted in the companies halting production because of extensive damage to their plants. Repairs and the resumption of output is expected to take months, which is likely to tighten the supply of products to the semi-finished steel markets, to which both mills are large suppliers, with a combined production capacity of around 14mn t/yr. This could in turn keep slab and billet prices elevated — fob Asia slab prices have increased by $24/t since the end of February, while cfr Asean billet prices have risen by $30/t, according to Argus assessments. Iranian prices have also strengthened, with a deal concluding $26/t higher for April shipment compared with March-shipment prices. But the ceasefire announcement could bring some production cost relief in the form of lower energy prices, based on initial market reaction. European gas prices plunged at market opening on Wednesday, with front-month futures at Europe's benchmark Dutch TTF hub nearly 20pc lower, while the front-month Ice June Brent crude contract fell by around 16pc. Lower crude prices weighing on fuel oil markets and the prospect of shipping through the strait of Hormuz resuming could also benefit producers and exporters by pulling freight rates lower. Some steel producers in Asia and Europe, particularly of long products, raised prices throughout March because of higher energy costs, while a number of seaborne suppliers increased offers on a cfr basis to account for surging freight and logistics costs. The ceasefire has had no immediate impact on steel prices today, some traders said, but others noted that the euro strengthening against the US dollar has affected import prices — an offer at $700/t cfr would work out around €10/t lower at today's rate compared with the end of last week. "The risk [for Hormuz] to remain blocked is still too high if the ceasefire will be interrupted. So I guess shipowners will not accept cargoes from the Gulf," a trader said. By Lora Stoyanova Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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