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China Aluminum Scrap Rebounds Up to CNY 300/MT as Other Metals Hold Flat
Chinese aluminum scrap benchmarks moved higher on October 9, with major extrusion, wire and cast grades gaining as much as CNY 300 per metric ton. The rebound recovered only part of the previous session’s losses, while copper, steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze prices remained unchanged.
By Anil Mathews
Published October 12, 2026
Market data: October 9, 2026
Market at a Glance
- Aluminum: Major grades increased ↑CNY 150–300/MT.
- Copper: → Flat after the previous session’s gains.
- Brass/Bronze: → Flat after moving higher on October 8.
- Stainless Steel: → Flat after the previous session’s declines.
- Steel: → Flat across #1 HMS and Cast Iron Scrap.
BEIJING (Scrap Monster): Chinese scrap metal prices were mostly unchanged on the ScrapMonster Price Index on Friday, October 9, 2026, with aluminum providing the only broad upward movement among the major categories tracked.
6063 Aluminum Extrusions, Aluminum Ingots, E.C. Aluminum Wire, Old Cast and Old Sheet each gained ↑CNY 300/MT, while Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Transformers, Used Beverage Cans and Zorba 90% NF rose ↑CNY 150/MT.
Copper, brass/bronze, steel and stainless steel recorded no day-over-day movement.
Benchmark price move: ScrapMonster reports market benchmark movements. Actual transaction prices can vary by grade, location, volume and individual buying conditions.
ScrapMonster Exclusive: Aluminum Bounced, But It Did Not Recover Thursday’s Losses
Friday’s aluminum increase needs to be read against the previous session. On October 8, the same major aluminum grades had fallen by CNY 200–450/MT.
The CNY 300/MT rebound in 6063 Extrusions, Aluminum Ingots, E.C. Aluminum Wire, Old Cast and Old Sheet recovered about two-thirds of the prior day’s CNY 450/MT decline. Those grades therefore remained approximately ↓CNY 150/MT below their October 7 benchmark after the two-session sequence.
The smaller aluminum categories showed a similar pattern. Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Transformers, UBC and Zorba 90% NF gained CNY 150/MT after falling CNY 200/MT one day earlier, leaving them roughly ↓CNY 50/MT over the two sessions.
Copper tells the opposite story. Major clean copper grades gained CNY 450/MT on October 8 and then held flat on October 9, meaning Thursday’s increases remained intact rather than being reversed.
Stainless steel stabilized, but did not rebound. Friday’s flat readings followed declines of CNY 50–150/MT on October 8, so the lower benchmarks remained in place.
The two-day picture is therefore more informative than Friday alone: aluminum partially recovered, copper and brass consolidated earlier gains, stainless consolidated earlier losses, and steel remained unchanged throughout.
Aluminum Scrap Prices Rebound
Aluminum was the only major category to record broad gains during the October 9 session.
| Aluminum Grade | Oct. 9 Move | Oct. 8 Move | Two-Day Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6063 Extrusions | ↑CNY 300 | ↓CNY 450 | ↓CNY 150/MT |
| Aluminum Ingots | ↑CNY 300 | ↓CNY 450 | ↓CNY 150/MT |
| E.C. Aluminum Wire | ↑CNY 300 | ↓CNY 450 | ↓CNY 150/MT |
| Old Cast | ↑CNY 300 | ↓CNY 450 | ↓CNY 150/MT |
| Old Sheet | ↑CNY 300 | ↓CNY 450 | ↓CNY 150/MT |
| Aluminum Radiators | ↑CNY 150 | ↓CNY 200 | ↓CNY 50/MT |
| Aluminum Transformers | ↑CNY 150 | ↓CNY 200 | ↓CNY 50/MT |
| Used Beverage Cans | ↑CNY 150 | ↓CNY 200 | ↓CNY 50/MT |
| Zorba 90% NF | ↑CNY 150 | ↓CNY 200 | ↓CNY 50/MT |
The rebound therefore recovered approximately 66.7% of Thursday’s decline in the CNY 300/450 group and 75% of the decline in the CNY 150/200 group.
Copper Scrap Prices Hold Thursday’s Gains
Copper scrap prices were unchanged across all listed categories on October 9.
#1 Copper Bare Bright, #1 Copper Wire & Tubing and #2 Copper Wire & Tubing all held their previous-session benchmarks.
#1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery and #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery were also unchanged.
Copper Transformer Scrap, Cu Yokes, Cu/Al Radiators, Harness Wire 35% Recovery and Heater Cores recorded no variation.
Scrap Electric Motors and Sealed Units likewise remained flat.
The flat session followed a strong October 8 adjustment in which the three principal clean copper grades each advanced ↑CNY 450/MT. Friday’s unchanged benchmarks therefore preserved those gains.
Steel Scrap Prices Remain Unchanged
Steel continued to show no movement.
| Steel Grade | October 9 Move |
|---|---|
| #1 HMS | → Flat |
| Cast Iron Scrap | → Flat |
Both grades had also remained unchanged during the preceding sessions, leaving steel as the most consistently stable category in the latest China scrap reports.
Stainless Steel Stabilizes After Thursday’s Decline
Stainless steel scrap prices were unchanged on October 9 after moving lower one day earlier.
201 SS, 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS, 310 SS and 316 SS Solid all recorded → Flat daily readings.
Shredded Stainless Steel also remained unchanged.
The lack of a Friday rebound means Thursday’s lower benchmarks remained in place. On October 8, listed stainless grades had declined by between CNY 50 and CNY 150 per metric ton.
Brass and Bronze Hold Earlier Gains
Brass and bronze scrap benchmarks were unchanged on October 9.
Red Brass, Yellow Brass and Brass Radiator Scrap all held their previous-session levels.
Those flat readings followed gains on October 8, when Red Brass and Yellow Brass each rose ↑CNY 100/MT and Brass Radiator increased ↑CNY 50/MT.
Two-Day China Scrap Market Comparison
| Metal | October 8 | October 9 | ScrapMonster Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | ↑ Higher | → Flat | Thursday’s gains held. |
| Aluminum | ↓ Lower | ↑ Higher | Partial rebound; prior losses not fully recovered. |
| Brass/Bronze | ↑ Higher | → Flat | Thursday’s gains held. |
| Stainless Steel | ↓ Lower | → Flat | Stabilized at lower benchmarks. |
| Steel | → Flat | → Flat | Continued stability. |
What to Watch Next
Aluminum follow-through: The key question is whether the CNY 150–300/MT rebound continues and closes the remaining gap from Thursday’s selloff.
Copper: Major copper benchmarks preserved their October 8 gains. A further move would determine whether that adjustment develops into a broader upward sequence.
Stainless steel: Friday brought stabilization but no recovery. Watch whether lower benchmarks hold or begin to retrace.
Brass/Bronze: Red and Yellow Brass retained Thursday’s CNY 100/MT gains, making the next session important for determining whether those increases extend.
Steel: #1 HMS and Cast Iron remain the quietest major categories, with no new directional signal.
ScrapMonster Market Read: October 9 looks stronger for aluminum when viewed in isolation than it does across the full two-session sequence. Friday’s rebound recovered only part of Thursday’s losses, leaving all of the aluminum grades that moved below their October 7 benchmarks. Copper and brass, by contrast, held onto Thursday’s gains. The result is a market that is consolidating recent repricing rather than moving uniformly higher.
