Prices for higher grades of steel scrap exported from Japan continued to increase over the past week, underpinned by a strong appetite in the domestic market, sources told Fastmarkets this week.

Spot prices for imported ferrous scrap in China were stable on Friday April 16 even with Chinese steel mills continuing to seek out cargoes of HRS101, the Chinese grade for plate and structural scrap.

Turkish steel mills have extended their silence in the deep-sea scrap market due to limited finished long steel demand, especially in the domestic market, participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday April 15.

Major global steel scrap markets have started to level off in recent days following sharp increases in the preceding few weeks.

Chinese ferrous scrap buyers are considering higher bids for imported heavy scrap, with steel mills in both east and northeast China looking to purchase more quantities in the coming weeks.

Import prices for ferrous scrap in Vietnam are still increasing due to a strengthening downstream steel market, though the rate of increase has slowed, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 9.

India is stepping back from importing ferrous scrap and aiming to become a more self-sufficient steelmaker. But what issues led to this change of tactics and how will it affect global scrap trade flows? Fastmarkets investigates.

Tata Steel’s recycling business in India is to offer domestically produced shredded material to the Indian market, adding to its existing offering, the company told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 7.

The key containerized ferrous scrap import market of Taiwan continued to witness price gains this week amid tight supply of United States- and Japan-origin materials, sources told Fastmarkets.

Japan's export steel scrap market presented a mixed picture in the week to Thursday April 1, with rising steel prices in Asia colliding with continued difficulties in sourcing vessels at key Japanese ports, sources said.