BIR World Mirror on Non-Ferrous Metals – Quarterly Report July 2026: No shortage of trading challenges as summer lull approaches for many
A concise summary of the BIR World Mirror on Non-Ferrous Metals – Quarterly Report July 2026. Full version with detailed market reports available in the Members Only section of the BIR website.
Fluctuations on the LME and trading complications have ensured a continuation of the complex operating environment confronting recyclers, it is confirmed in the latest Mirror publication from the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division.
Nowhere is this more applicable than for scrap businesses in Mexico. At the border with the USA, some shipments that would traditionally be treated as scrap are now facing questions over whether they could be considered reusable merchandise, thus leading to delays, uncertainty and more intense pressure on working capital.
Across in Malaysia, issues at ports have been clouding the trading picture for some time. Latest feedback indicates that conditions are gradually improving as containers held for extended periods are now slowly moving through the inspection process, with some being cleared, released or re-exported. However, there is still concern over a lack of clarity from Malaysian Customs over criteria that may result in cargoes being denied entry or ordered to be re-exported.
Meanwhile, government intervention has been affecting recycling operations in Ukraine. The country’s introduction of a scrap export ban in January this year has served to slow domestic metal collections and force multiple collection sites to cease operations, recyclers have warned. To help address this situation, they are calling for replacement of the export ban with a 200,000-tonne quota to the EU as a means of salvaging some foreign currency earnings.
Scrap collection volumes have also been undermined as a result of the extreme heat experienced across many parts of Europe over recent weeks. With temperatures exceeding 40 degC in some regions, working conditions have become increasingly challenging and additional pressure has been exerted on logistics, resulting in lower inflows of material into recycling operations.
Intense competition for available material has led to aggressive bidding on certain non-ferrous grades and to further pressure on recyclers’ margins despite widespread demand stability, according to feedback from the Nordic Countries. Most market participants remain reluctant to carry large stocks owing to uncertainty over future price developments, it is added.
From the UK, it is noted that non-ferrous prices have started to soften in recent weeks, not least because an easing of tensions in the Middle East has taken some of the risk premium out of the market. At the same time, domestic recyclers are preparing for the introduction of mandatory digital waste transfer notes aimed at improving traceability, reducing paperwork and modernising waste documentation across the industry.
In the USA, the all-in aluminium price dropped more than 15% in June, driven by the lower LME and a slow decline in the regional premium. Secondary aluminium ingot prices appear to be stable at an elevated level owing to higher raw material input and freight costs. Meanwhile, domestic copper and brass demand has been good.
Across into China, the country’s non-ferrous scrap sector is looking to balance a long-term government goal of expanding recycled metal output with near-term logistical and global macro constraints, amid a domestic market environment characterised by highly volatile pricing across major non-ferrous scrap commodities.
Read all international market reports
With contributions from its members, BIR publishes periodical commodity reports under the label "BIR World Mirror". These detailed reports exist for Non-Ferrous Metals, Ferrous, Stainless Steel / Alloys, Paper, Plastics and Latin America and provide BIR members with up-to-date information on the respective commodity or market segment.
The report on Non-Ferrous Metals appears once every two months, whereas Ferrous, Stainless Steel, Paper and Plastics are published quarterly. Latin America is covered twice per year.