EU delays aluminium scrap export curbs till September: Will India seize the opportunity?

As reported by the industrial association European Aluminium and other related sources, the European Union’s implementation of measures to curb aluminium scrap export have been postponed till September, 2026. The update has emerged in the midst of the calls made by the European aluminium industry for pushing recycling efforts to promote circularity and decarbonisation.

The decision to limit aluminium scrap export was announced in November, 2025, scheduled to come into effect by spring 2026, as notified by Maros Sefcovic, European Trade Commissioner.  

While industry sources believe that the measure was prompted by the difficulties in aligning competing priorities, the European Commission has not commented on the matter.

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Scrap leakage concerns flagged by the European Aluminium

Industry association European Aluminium, which has been advocating tighter controls on scrap exports, stated that overseas shipments from the EU climbed to a record 1.27 million tonnes in 2025, around 50 per cent higher than in 2019.

This is in line with the observation made by Mario Conserva, President of FACE (Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe), who described the situation as a strategic challenge for Europe’s industrial future.

“The current leakage of aluminium scrap, whereby we gift 1.2 million tonnes of this strategic resource to third countries annually, has reached a breaking point,” as they are raising the bar of competitiveness for Europe. “This volume represents nearly 25 per cent of Europe’s total recycling capacity, and we should improve it inside,” observed Mr Conserva.

In Q1 2026, the European Union exported 328,134 tonnes of aluminium scrap, 69 per cent of which was destined for Asian countries, according to Eurostat data.

In 2025, secondary aluminium accounted for about 35 per cent of global aluminium output, while the global aluminium recycling market is projected to grow from 39.35 million tonnes in 2025 to 41.14 million tonnes in 2026, reflecting the increasing importance of recycled metal in meeting future aluminium demand. 

Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium, acknowledged industry concerns over the delay but maintained confidence that meaningful action would follow after the EU institutions resume work following their August recess.

“We're naturally impatient due to the scale and urgency of the problems, but this is about the next five years, not the next five weeks,” he said.

Similarly, in an exclusive interview with AL Circle, Emanuele Manigrassi, Director Climate & Energy at European Aluminium, warned that “Europe could face double pressure: higher costs for recyclers within the EU, while valuable scrap is pulled toward higher-paying international markets.”

European Aluminium also warned that the United Arab Emirates' decision to ban aluminium scrap exports, announced in June, could intensify pressure on European supplies. India, which traditionally sources about one-fifth of its scrap imports from Gulf countries, may increasingly look to Europe to meet demand.

Restriction stalled: An upside for India

Interestingly, the update has surfaced at a prime time for the Indian aluminium industry, which was facing a potential risk of aluminium scrap supply disruption. Being a nation whose 80 per cent of aluminium scrap demand is met by imports, India's Ministry of Commerce sought diplomatic discussions with the EU regarding its upcoming Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR).

India remained the largest importer of aluminium scrap from the EU in 2025 as well as during the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, closely followed by Thailand and China. In 2025, it imported 382,525 tonnes or 30 per cent of the EU's total shipments of aluminium scrap of 1,274,278 tonnes.

Having sourced 88,205 tonnes in Q1 2026, India accounted for 26.88 per cent of the EU’s cumulative outbound shipment of 328,134 tonnes, but still remained the top buyer from the European scrap market.

On June 8, the ministry flagged the issue in an official memorandum to the FT (Europe) Division. "Since India relies heavily on imports of high-quality scrap from developed countries such as the EU and USA, such restrictions could adversely affect the availability of quality secondary raw materials for Indian industry," the memorandum stated.

Addressing these concerns, Hervé Delphin, EU Ambassador to India, indicated that given the ongoing audit process for Indian recycling facilities, “there is no indication of anything negative.”

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Like EU aluminium scrap-dependent countries, not everyone supports export restrictions. Recycling Europe, representing companies involved in collecting, shredding and processing end-of-life products such as vehicles, has voiced strong opposition. The organisation argues that only about 20 per cent of European aluminium scrap is exported, much of it comprising lower-grade material that cannot be efficiently processed within the EU.

According to the group, restricting exports could weaken the recycling sector by discouraging investment and reducing processing activity, potentially leaving larger volumes of recyclable aluminium uncollected and untreated.

Deferral announcement of aluminium scrap export ban might, therefore, be an opportune window for India to fill its aluminium scrap inventory to the brim until any new updates appear on the EU’s WSR framework.

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