STEEL SCRAP WRAP: Prices may break through $500/t, sources say

Global steel scrap prices surged in the week to Friday May 7 and could well break through the $500 per tonne cfr mark, starting in Asia, market sources have told Fastmarkets.

This was due to the continued demand for steelmaking raw materials and the current high prices for alternative iron ore feedstock, they said.

  • Turkish scrap import prices spike
  • Sentiment in US remains bullish
  • Possible $485 per tonne cfr deal in Vietnam
  • China returns from holiday to booming steel prices
  • Taiwan sees price uptick on tight supply
  • India prices move up but buyers hesitate.

Turkey
The sudden increase in import prices in the key market of Turkey caught market participants by surprise.

Turkish steel mills booked materials at prices as high as $479-480 per tonne cfr on May 6, compared with $471 per tonne cfr on May 5.

Downstream export prices for steel rebar and billet also supported the prices increases, especially with the news of China cancelling export rebates and imposing zero-rate duties on semi-finished steel.

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
Bullish sentiment in the US prevailed because of the rocketing prices in Turkey. Unforeseen demand-side fundamentals were also supporting domestic price negotiations.

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
There was a transaction heard at $480 per tonne cfr Vietnam for a Japanese H2-grade cargo, and another heard concluded at $485 per tonne cfr Vietnam for a bulk deep-sea cargo.

Pricing history

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

China
China returned from its week-long Labor Day holiday to a booming steel and scrap market, causing import prices to increase.

Pricing history
steel scrap, heavy recycled steel materials, cfr China.

Taiwan
A dearth of cargoes has led to prices increasing, with sellers withholding offers on expectations of further price rises.

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

India
Prices for shredded scrap into India moved up throughout the week but buyers were hesitant about booking material due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

Pricing history
steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India.

What to read next
The publication of several Fastmarkets copper concentrates indices and coefficients was delayed by 18 minutes on Friday May 1 due to a procedural error.
Fastmarkets has decided to change the timestamp of several of its agriculture prices linked to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and MIAX Futures Exchange to align the time of publication with the exchanges’ settlement time at 1:15pm US Central Time.
The Philippines’ steel industry is entering an inflection point, with the market gradually evolving from import reliance toward a more balanced and supply-secure growth trajectory supported by domestic investment and capacity expansion.
Fastmarkets has launched five core carbon principle (CCP) carbon credit price assessments, covering landfill gas and cookstove projects, on Tuesday April 28.
China’s emergence over the past two decades has reshaped global trade. What began as rapid export-led expansion in the early 2000s has evolved into a far more strategic model: one centered on control of intermediate goods, deep integration into global supply chains, and the creation of structural dependencies across industries and regions, according to Mexico’s former ambassador to China, Jorge Guajardo.
The US has stepped up calls for its allies to accept higher costs for sourcing critical minerals outside China, arguing that supply chain security must take precedence over price efficiency – a stance that is reshaping expectations across metals markets but has yet to translate into durable pricing support.