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Global ferrous scrap exports totaled 106.7 million tonnes for the year, valued at $53.9 billion, figures compiled by ISRI from the United Nations Comtrade Database show.
Aluminium scrap exports totalled 7.5 million tonnes globally and were valued at $13.2 billion, while copper scrap exports totalled 5.6 million tonnes and carried a value of $25.5 billion, ISRI said in its 2012 scrap yearbook.
Global nickel scrap exports totaled 131,000 tonnes with a value of $751 million, while zinc scrap exports totaled 373,000 tonnes with a value of $644 million.
Lead scrap exports totaled 272,000 tonnes globally with a value of $417 million, according to the report.
The total value of global scrap exports in 2011—including paper, glass, plastic, rubber and textile scrap—was $145.2 billion.
“I would say that 2011 was a banner year for global scrap demand. For all recycled commodities, figures from the UN database show that exports increased by 4%, or by 9 million tonnes, to more than 200 million tonnes in 2011,” ISRI director of commodities Joe Pickard said.
“Given the rise in commodity prices in 2011, global scrap exports increased even more by value last year, climbing 24% higher year on year.”