Turkey re-enters US ferrous scrap market at higher prices after brief hiatus

In a fresh cargo sale to Turkey, US deep-sea ferrous scrap export prices ticked up by $2-11 per tonne compared with the last such US deals

An East Coast exporter sold a cargo containing 19,000 tonnes of an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap priced at $402 per tonne cfr and 21,000 tonnes of shredded scrap and 5,000 tonnes of bonus-grade material priced at $422 per tonne cfr for September shipment to a Turkish mill on Monday August 22.

Prior to this, a separate US shipper on the East Coast sold an unspecified tonnage of HMS 1&2 (90:10) for $405 per tonne cfr — equivalent to $400 per tonne cfr for an 80:20 mix of the grade — it was reported on Wednesday August 17.

The last reported shred and bonus prices from the US East Coast to the region were $411 per tonne cfr for both grades in a previous deal reported on August 11; HMS 1&2 (80:20) went for $396 per tonne cfr in the same sale.

Turkish importers have paid a series of incremental increases for US ferrous scrap in recent transactions, but the market upside remains limited, sources said.

Mills there continue to target HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $390-400 per tonne cfr for imports of the grade, but have been unsuccessful in the US market of late.

Expectations in the US domestic scrap market that September prices will be sideways in a best-case scenario continue to cast a long shadow over export prospects.

Nonetheless, Turkish importers are expected to increase their export presence soon while regional mills work to secure scrap tonnages for September’s steel production schedule, despite reports that many are running at a reduced capacity amid hefty production costs.

What to read next
A developing El Niño weather pattern is drawing fresh attention across European metals markets at a moment when the continent‘s energy infrastructure is already under acute stress – and for producers and traders in secondary aluminium and ferrous scrap, the implications are hard to ignore.
With decarbonization deadlines fast approaching for corporations and governments increasingly focused on material resilience, ferrous scrap has taken on growing strategic importance in Japan’s transition toward lower-carbon steelmaking.
South Korea has stepped up its efforts to support its steel sector, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and tariff pressures elsewhere, by including the sector in a $54 billion support package for key industries in the country, Fastmarkets understands.
Alex Kershaw unpacks the recent volatility in global scrap steel markets and what is driving price movements across key regions. From the US and Europe to Turkey and China, the discussion explores how rising energy and freight costs are lifting prices despite weak steel demand.
In this short episode of Fast Forward, Alex Kershaw, senior analyst for steel, raw materials and ferrous scrap at Fastmarkets, unpacks the recent volatility in global scrap steel markets and what is driving price movements across key regions.
As Brazil implemented protective measures against Chinese flat steel — enforcing anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled coil, coated steel, and pre-painted steel sequentially since early 2026 — China's monthly exports of finished steel to the country declined to their lowest levels since 2024, significantly reducing a market that previously consumed over 400,000 tonnes per month.