Turkey remained the largest scrap importer in 2021 but the EU27 and US took second and third place respectively, with India languishing behind in fourth, according to the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).
Turkish scrap imports rose 11% on-year in 2021 to 24.99 million tonnes, with top supplier the US reducing supply 14% to 3.77mt. The EU grew imports 31% to 5.37mt, with top supplier the UK increasing deliveries 27% to 1.63mt. The US saw 17% import growth to 5.26mt, with Canada supplying 3.76mt, up 18%.
India meanwhile saw imports drop 4.6% to 5.13mt, Kallanish notes.
The EU remained the largest scrap exporter last year, raising shipments 11.5% to 19.46mt, with 13.1mt going to Turkey, up 11%. US scrap exports grew 6% to 17.91mt, with Mexico growing intake 51% to 3.14mt. The UK and Canada increased scrap exports last year, among others, while Japan and Russian reduced shipments abroad.
According to BIR statistics, scrap consumption in China was 2.8% lower last year at 226.21mt, although the country remained the world’s largest scrap user owing to an 11.5% increase in its scrap-intensive electric furnace production. In contrast, scrap consumption grew 17% in the EU27 to 87.85mt and 18% in the US to 59.4mt. It also grew 16% in Turkey to 34.81mt.
Global oxygen furnace production was almost unchanged last year at 1.381 billion tonnes, whereas global electric furnace production increased 14.4% to 563mt.
According to Official Trade Statistics/WV Stahl, global external steel scrap trade – including internal EU27 trade – amounted to 109.6mt last year, up 10% on 2020.
