North American Scrap Prices Advance Across Key Grades on the Index- September 22, 2026
Daily Scrap Metal Price Report | 2026-09-23 14:14:37
North American scrap buying benchmarks moved broadly higher on September 22, led by a 14¢/lb surge across major clean copper grades. Stainless steel and brass/bronze also advanced, while aluminum was mostly flat and steel held unchanged.
By MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal prices moved broadly higher on the ScrapMonster Price Index on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, with the strongest gains concentrated in copper, stainless steel and brass/bronze.
Market Snapshot
- Copper: Broad gains, led by a 14¢/lb increase in major clean grades.
- Aluminum: Mostly unchanged; E.C. Aluminum Wire slipped 1¢/lb.
- Steel: Flat across all tracked grades.
- Stainless Steel: Higher by 1¢–3¢/lb.
- Brass/Bronze: Major grades advanced as much as 3¢/lb.
SCRAPMONSTER EDGE
Copper clearly led the September 22 session. The 14¢/lb increase in major clean copper grades was the largest per-pound move among the tracked nonferrous and stainless categories, while aluminum was nearly flat and steel showed no movement.
Copper Scrap Prices
Copper posted the strongest movement of the September 22 session, with gains extending beyond the major clean grades.
#1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright and #3 Copper-Light Copper each increased by $0.14 per lb.
#1 Insulated Copper Wire with 85% Recovery and #2 Insulated Copper Wire with 50% Recovery each gained $0.03 per lb.
Copper Radiator Scrap advanced $0.04 per lb.
Harness Wire with 35% Recovery and Romex Wire each increased $0.03 per lb, while Heater Cores and Cu Yokes rose $0.02 per lb.
Alternator Scrap, Copper Transformer Scrap, Scrap Electric Motors, Starters, Sealed Units and Xmas Lights each advanced $0.01 per lb.
Cu/Al Radiator Ends, Cu/Al Radiators and Cu/Al Radiators/Fe were unchanged.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
Aluminum scrap prices were largely stable, with E.C. Aluminum Wire the only tracked grade to decline.
5052 Scrap, 6063 Extrusions, 1100 Scrap, 3003 Scrap, 356 Aluminum Wheels, 6061 Extrusions and 6063 Extrusions/Fe were unchanged from the previous day.
E.C. Aluminum Wire slipped by $0.01 per lb on the Index.
Chrome Wheels, Litho Sheets, MLC Clips, Old Cast, UBC, Old Sheet, Painted Siding and Zorba 90% NF also held steady.
Al/Cu Radiators, Al/Cu Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Transformers, Mixed Aluminum Turnings and Breakage 50% Recovery recorded no change.
Steel Scrap Prices
Steel scrap prices were unchanged across all tracked grades.
#1 Bundle, #1 Busheling, #1 HMS, HMS 80/20 and Sheet Metal held steady.
Shredded Auto Scrap and Structural Steel also recorded no movement from the previous session.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
Stainless steel prices moved higher during the session.
201 SS, 301 SS, 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS and 316 SS Solid each increased by $0.01 per lb.
310 SS advanced $0.02 per lb, while 330 SS posted the strongest stainless move with a gain of $0.03 per lb.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
Brass and bronze scrap prices also moved higher on the Index.
70/30 Brass Scrap, 80/20 Brass Scrap, 85/15 Brass Scrap and Brass Radiator each gained $0.03 per lb.
Brass Radiator/Fe increased $0.01 per lb, while Brass Radiator Ends remained unchanged.
Red Brass, Red Borings and Yellow Brass each advanced $0.03 per lb.
Market Read
The September 22 session was led by copper, where the 14¢/lb gain in major clean grades stood well above the more modest increases seen in stainless steel and brass/bronze. Aluminum remained largely stable and steel showed no movement, leaving the day's strength concentrated mainly in nonferrous scrap.
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POLL
Which scrap metal category showed the strongest price gains in North America on September 22, 2026?
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which scrap metal category recorded the strongest gains in North America?
Copper recorded the strongest price movement on September 22. #1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright and #3 Copper-Light Copper each increased by $0.14 per lb.
- How did North American aluminum scrap prices perform?
The aluminum market was largely stable, with nearly all tracked grades holding their previous prices. E.C. Aluminum Wire was the only exception, declining by $0.01 per lb.
- Did North American steel scrap prices change?
No. Steel scrap prices were completely unchanged across all tracked grades, including #1 Bundle, #1 Busheling, #1 HMS, HMS 80/20, Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap and Structural Steel.
