Scrap prices under pressure as demand slows further
The ferrous scrap market outlook for May 2025 points to another month of significant downside pressure, driven primarily by weakening demand conditions.
The Trend Indicator has dropped steeply to 25.4 – well below the 35-point threshold indicating strong bearish sentiment – suggesting a high likelihood of falling prices. Forecast models project a month-on-month scrap price decrease of 9.5%, following a 6.2% decline in April.
Read on for some highlights from our US ferrous scrap market survey for May or click here to download your copy of the full US scrap trends outlook.
US scrap market sees a downward trend
This bearish shift is broadly agreed upon, as indicated by a consensus score of 60%, suggesting participants are mostly aligned on market direction.
Among market participants, buyers are the most optimistic with a Trend Indicator of 31.7, while brokers and sellers reported even lower figures at 20.8 and 23.6 respectively, reinforcing the widespread expectation of price erosion.
Among market participants, buyers are the most optimistic with a Trend Indicator of 31.7.
Survey participant
Inventory levels steady, offering limited pricing buffer
Inventory levels are near neutral at 47.5, indicating that stockpiles are roughly in line with typical monthly averages and unlikely to provide any significant buffer against downward pricing pressure.
