Europe’s aluminium scrap exports to the US have risen by 243 per cent, highlighting a growing concern over the continent’s access to strategic raw materials as it pursues recycling, decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. Evangelos Mytilineos, Executive Chairman of METLEN, raised the issue, linking scrap outflows to the broader challenges facing European industry, energy security and strategic autonomy. Aluminium scrap outflows raise industrial concerns Mytilineos referred to the contrasting US tariff treatment of aluminium products, i.e., a 50 per cent tariff on primary aluminium, compared with zero tariff on scrap . With European aluminium scrap exports to the US increasing by 243 per cent, he questioned whether Europe could strengthen its industrial base while allowing valuable...
The US aluminium used beverage can (UBC) scrap price benchmark tracked by Argus recorded a mixed performance over the third quarter of 2026, declining in July before rising in August and September. The monthly average increased from USD 2,322.89 per tonne in July to USD 2,491.22 per tonne in August and USD 2,602.51 per tonne in September, indicating a sustained recovery in the benchmark over the three months. July: Prices decline despite a high opening The benchmark began July at USD 2,464.98 per tonne on July 1, before falling sharply to USD 2,270.76 per tonne on July 3. The price remained at that level on July 2 and July 6, the lowest recorded price for the month. It subsequently recovered gradually, reaching USD 2,319.86 per tonne on July 10 and USD 2,328.63 per tonne on July 22....
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India's Ministry of Commerce is seeking diplomatic discussions with the European Union (EU) regarding its upcoming Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR). It was prompted by concerns that the new framework could restrict the flow of recyclable materials, including aluminium scrap, to non-OECD countries. As per official documents reviewed by the Business Standard, the Indian Ministry of Commerce assessed the potential impact of the regulation, effective from 2027, which aims to secure recyclable resources within the EU's territories. In an internal memorandum dated June 8, the Department of Commerce notified the FT (Europe) Division that the measure could affect India's access to quality secondary raw materials. Delve deeper into the recycled aluminium and secondary aluminium market with our...
How scrap leakage, CBAM tariffs, and impurity science are redrawing the economics of aluminium EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The margin threat: Aluminium scrap prices have surged to over 90 per cent of the LME primary ingot price, wiping out traditional arbitrage and forcing a total procurement reset. The CBAM reality: Secondary post-consumer scrap carries a zero upstream carbon burden, bypassing the incoming €75.36 per tonne European border taxes that will cripple high-carbon primary imports. The technology fix: Advanced photonics and "Design for Recycling" (DfR) architectures are finally untangling the dirty alloy problem, allowing secondary metal to bypass primary dilution entirely and capture 100 per cent of future margin growth. European remelters are watching their margins evaporate. According...
For years, the UAE has been exporting a quietly valuable resource: its own aluminium scrap. Collected domestically, that scrap has largely been shipped overseas for processing, stripping the national economy of the added value it could generate. That dynamic shifted decisively this week when Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) officially opened the Al Taweelah recycling plant — a 185,000-tonne-per-year facility that now makes the Abu Dhabi-based producer the largest consumer of aluminium scrap inside the UAE. The opening was attended by Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), EGA's Chairman Homaid Al Shimmari, Vice Chairman His...
Europe’s aluminium recycling industry is entering a defining phase. Demand for low-carbon aluminium is climbing rapidly across automotive, packaging, construction and clean energy sectors, while policymakers continue to champion circularity as a key pillar of climate action. Yet, despite recycling rates above 80 per cent in several segments and continued investment in recycling infrastructure, a rising share of valuable aluminium scrap is still leaving the continent. That paradox is becoming one of the industry’s biggest focal points. Across the value chain, we notice a growing regard for Europe’s recycling success, which will be measured not only by how much scrap it collects, but by how much of that material it can keep, process and turn back into aluminium products at home. As...
As we look more closely into the aluminium industry of China, the leading exporter in the global aluminium supply chain, it appears to fall short in the aluminium scrap market. How do we know? China’s import data accumulated from the International Trade Administration offer evident pointers. In Q1 2026, China sourced 526,380 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the world , which reflects a notable year-on-year surge of 3.92 per cent from the import volume of 506,546 tonnes in Q1 2025. The spike in imports prompts an in-depth tracking of the nation's aluminium scrap sources. Annually, the import volume has shot up to 2.02 million tonnes in 2025 from 1.78 million tonnes in 2024, up Y-o-Y by 13.48 per cent. Since 2025, China’s top three suppliers of aluminium scrap have been: Thailand,...
How has the momentum in UK aluminium scrap exports to the US been in the opening quarter (Q1) of 2026? According to the data recorded in the International Trade Administration (ITA), a slight cooling can be noticed, with shipments and export revenues both slipping from the levels recorded a year ago. In Q1 2026, the UK exported about 3,785 tonnes of aluminium scrap to the US, which is about 9.8 per cent short of the 4,196 tonnes exported during the same period in Q1 2025. Gather insights on the aluminium recycling market from LME-Certified Risk Management Consultant’s exclusive session on Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours . Year-to-date (YTD) import volume of aluminium scrap by the US till March 2026 totalled 265,983 tonnes. Here, the UK ranks in the fifth position,...
Within the aluminium recycling industry, recyclers have a robust demand and running efficient operations does not always mean they will enjoy healthy profit margins. A sudden shift in metal prices, from buying scrap to selling finished products, can swiftly eat away profits, putting businesses at risk even when they are doing everything else right. Moreover, the metal markets are always in flux and for aluminium recyclers, even the smallest price change can have a big impact on procurement decision-making, inventory valuation, customer agreements and overall profit margins. Although the recyclers would not be able to completely eliminate volatility, they can enhance their responsiveness by implementing effective risk management strategies. To help recyclers build this capability, AL...
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to drive a surge in drink can consumption across the UK, with an estimated 2 billion cans likely to be used during the tournament, according to Recycle Now and Every Can Counts. If all of those cans are collected and recycled, they would have an estimated market value of around GBP 28.5 million (USD 38.48 million), based on current aluminium scrap prices. The organisations said aluminium cans remain one of the most valuable and widely recycled packaging materials. On average, used beverage cans are worth about GBP 1,000 (USD 1,350) per tonne in the recycling market. The campaign aims to encourage football fans to recycle their empty cans while watching matches at home, in public venues or at fan events. Explore: The most comprehensive and...
Mississippi-based flat-rolled aluminium manufacturer Aluminum Dynamics Inc. has announced its withdrawal from the aluminium recycling project at Benson, Arizona. The official announcement has come after months of slowed progress on the project of a 200-acre area previously reserved for the establishment of an aluminium recycling facility. Aluminum Dynamics had planned to construct a large recycling slab facility that would process scrap aluminium and support the company's downstream operations. The official statement released by the company noted, “Due to differences with some Arizona state officials that risked the construction and operations of the facility in Benson, Arizona, Aluminum Dynamics, Inc. has decided not to move forward with construction of the recycling slab centre in...
The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has warned that large volumes of recycled aluminium continue to leave the UK, raising concerns about the long-term availability of the metal for domestic industries. In a new industry manifesto, the organisation outlined a number of measures it believes could help increase the supply of recycled aluminium and strengthen the country's circular economy. According to Alupro, sectors such as packaging, automotive, construction, transport, defence and energy infrastructure are expected to require more aluminium in the years ahead, making reliable supply increasingly important. Tom Giddings, executive director of Alupro, said the UK needs to do more to keep recycled aluminium within the domestic supply chain rather than exporting it...
India's imported aluminium scrap prices declined sharply w-o-w, tracking continued weakness in LME aluminium prices and subdued buying activity. According to BigMint's latest assessment for CFR Nhava Sheva deliveries, UK-origin zorba 95-5 scrap prices declined by USD 60 per tonne w-o-w to USD 2,965 per tonne from USD 3,025 per tonne previously. Meanwhile, US-origin tense 6-7 per cent scrap prices decreased by USD 55 per tonne w-o-w to USD 2,730 per tonne from USD 2,785 per tonne last week. LME aluminium retreats w-o-w below USD 3,500 per tonne Three-month aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) traded lower w-o-w, closing at USD 3,380 per tonne on 16 June against USD 3,586 per tonne on 9 June, down by USD 206 per tonne or 5.7 per cent w-o-w. LME aluminium prices declined over...
Europe's aluminium industry is undergoing a structural transformation as manufacturers increasingly turn towards secondary aluminium to address rising energy costs, decarbonisation requirements and supply-chain challenges. While the European aluminium market is projected to grow from USD 30.84 billion in 2025 to USD 57 billion by 2035, the region’s primary aluminium production base has continued to shrink, creating a stronger reliance on recycled metal and circular material flows. The number of active primary smelters in the European Union declined from 23 in 2002 to 11 in 2022, resulting in primary aluminium output falling from 2.7 million tonnes to 1.2 million tonnes. At the same time, secondary aluminium has become increasingly important, accounting for more than 60 per cent of...
Britain's increasing exports of aluminium scrap are raising concerns about the long-term availability of a key raw material. With the intensified push for sustainability across the world, aluminium scrap is a requisite by strategic sectors such as defence, automotive, clean energy and digital technologies. The UK’s aluminium scrap export surge, therefore, may raise concerns within the nation’s industrial chain. Manufacturing body Make UK has cautioned that continued outflows of aluminium scrap could expose domestic supply chains to a vulnerable state. It might also discourage investment and prompt manufacturers to relocate operations to regions with stronger access to recycled feedstock. Delve deeper into the recycled aluminium and secondary aluminium market with our World Recycled...
The European Union is one of the largest generators and collectors of aluminium scrap in the world, with over 80 per cent recycling rate. The demand is also robust, with an average annual volume of 8 million tonnes. Yet, the European Union exports 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes of scrap during a year, which reflects 15 per cent of the volume collected domestically. In Q1 2026, the European Union exported 328,134 tonnes of aluminium scrap, - 69 per cent of which were destined to the Asian countries, according to Eurostat data. India tops the list with reduced import volume India remained the largest importer of aluminium scrap from the European Union during the first quarter of 2026, even though their imports declined sequentially. From January to March 2026, India imported 88,205 tonnes of...
SuperAlloy reported stronger sales of recycled aluminium in May, supported by growing demand from luxury and supercar manufacturers as well as increasing adoption of low-carbon procurement practices across global supply chains. The company said consolidated revenue for May reached USD 20.14 million, an increase of 6.7 per cent compared with April and 18.74 per cent higher than the same month last year. For the January-May period, cumulative consolidated revenue totalled TWD 3.103 billion (USD 98 million), up 2.86 per cent year on year, returning the company to positive growth for the first five months of 2026. According to SuperAlloy, demand was supported by its certification with seven international luxury and supercar brands, which have contributed to a higher usage rate of recycled...
An old car engine, a stack of used beverage cans, a demolished window frame and even a retired solar panel may look like waste, but across Europe they are increasingly being treated as valuable raw materials. What determines whether they end up in landfill or become high-grade recycled aluminium is one thing: technology. With the help of advanced technologies, recycling rates in Europe already exceed 90 per cent in sectors such as automotive and construction, while aluminium beverage cans are recycled at rates of around 75 per cent. Behind these numbers is a network of sorting specialists, furnace makers, recyclers and collection companies that are quietly reshaping the aluminium supply chain. For many recyclers, the process starts long before the metal reaches a furnace. The first...
As Europe accelerates its shift towards a low-carbon economy, aluminium is emerging as a cornerstone material across automotive, renewable energy, packaging and industrial applications. The region is simultaneously pursuing greater recycling, strengthening resource security, advancing circular economy models and tightening carbon regulations. Yet, rising scrap exports, evolving trade mechanisms and growing demand for sustainable materials continue to test the resilience of Europe’s aluminium value chain. CBAM, carbon leakage and Europe’s regulatory tightrope As the European Union prepares to expand its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to around 180 downstream aluminium-intensive products from 2028 , exporters face a major shift from simply supplying metal to proving the carbon...
A new trade group representing companies involved in the US secondary aluminium industry has been launched, bringing together businesses from across the country's aluminium recycling and processing value chain. The organisation, called the Secondary Aluminum Coalition for America (SACA), says it represents companies involved in scrap collection and trading, remelting, extrusion and fabrication. This week, members of the coalition travelled to Washington to meet administration officials and lawmakers. According to the group, the purpose of the visit is to demonstrate that expanding secondary aluminium production offers the fastest route to increasing domestic aluminium capacity. SACA argues that producing aluminium from scrap can be scaled up more quickly and at a lower cost than building...
