STEEL SCRAP WRAP: Markets impacted by poor sentiment due to high freight rates, rising Covid-19 cases

Global ferrous scrap prices have continued to fall in the week to August 13 due to high freight rates, Covid-19 outbreaks in importing countries and poor downstream steel demand.

  • Turkish scrap prices fell amid weak downstream demand
  • United States scrap exports were poor due to high freight costs
  • Weak demand for imports in Vietnam due to Covid-19
  • China abstains from purchasing due to large bid-offer spread
  • Taiwan reports price rebound amid reluctance to offer lower
  • Indian scrap demand remains tepid on monsoon season

Turkey
Turkish steel mills have been out of the spot market in the week due to falling downstream steel prices, which have continued to weigh on buying sentiment and which have reduced appetite for imports.

News of transactions concluded late the previous week came to light at the start of the week, with overall price levels falling from the last tranche of deals.

Pricing history

steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), Northern Europe origin, cfr Turkey

steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20), US origin, cfr Turkey

United States
The recent spike in freight rates have limited exports from both the East Coast and the West Coast.

Pricing history

steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20), export index, fob New York

steel scrap shredded scrap, export index, fob New York

steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), export index, fob Los Angeles

Vietnam
Import prices for ferrous scrap in Vietnam fell due to the worsening Covid-19 pandemic dampening downstream steel demand.

Pricing history

steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), cfr Vietnam.

China
Chinese import steel scrap trade was largely silent amid a large bid-offer gap.

Pricing history

Steel scrap, heavy recycled steel materials, cfr China, $/tonne

Taiwan
Containerized ferrous scrap import prices in Taiwan started to rebound from Thursday amid increasing reluctance by sellers to drop prices further.

Pricing history

steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US material import, cfr main port Taiwan

India
Prices for shredded steel scrap into India continued to trend downward because demand remained tepid during monsoon season. 

Pricing history

steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India

What to read next
This consultation, which is open until May 23, 2024, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency. You can […]
Singapore-based lithium-ion battery recycling company Green Li-ion has launched its first commercial-scale installation to produce battery-grade cathode and anode materials from black mass and cathode powder – the first of its kind in North America
Chinese rare earth magnetic materials prices edged up this week after suppliers stood firm behind higher offer prices, market sources told Fastmarkets
Fastmarkets launched a suite of CIF India aluminium scrap prices on Wednesday April 17.
Fastmarkets will amend the frequency of its aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, US Midwest and its aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product, US Midwest as of the assessment on Friday May 3.
After a consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the publishing frequency of the Pakistan shredded steel scrap import index from weekly to twice per week.