Sims suspends Rhode Island shredder ops

Sims Metal Management has temporarily idled its Johnston, Rhode Island, shredder in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company told Argus it continues to receive material at its Johnston location.

Market participants familiar with the matter said the company is still receiving light iron but is then shipping it down to its shredder at North Haven, Connecticut.

The move comes on the heels of other similar closures from major exporters amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has increasingly hampered scrap collection.

Schnitzer Steel is temporarily suspending business operations at its deep-sea ferrous bulk export dock in Providence, Rhode Island, as well as three other ferrous and nonferrous scrap yards in the region effective 3 April.

Sims Metal Management temporarily stopped collections of ferrous and nonferrous scrap from third parties at some locations on the US west coast last week. The global recycler is [extending cutbacks on nonferrous metal] (http://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2093431-sims-extends-nonferrous-metal-scrap-cutback-globally) scrap buying across its global operations through April as demand plunges amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By Brad MacAulay