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China Copper Scrap Falls CNY 50/MT as Stainless Drops Up to CNY 150
Chinese scrap prices were mixed on September 16, with major clean copper grades declining CNY 50 per metric ton and selected aluminum grades gaining the same amount. Stainless steel weakened more broadly, led by a CNY 150-per-tonne drop in 310 SS, while brass/bronze and steel remained unchanged.
By Anil Mathews
Published
Market data:
Market Snapshot
| Metal | September 16 Move | Market Read |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | Down as much as CNY 50/MT | Clean grades lower; decline sharply moderated |
| Aluminum | Selected grades +CNY 50/MT | Second consecutive session of selective gains |
| Steel | Unchanged | #1 HMS and Cast Iron flat |
| Stainless Steel | Down as much as CNY 150/MT | Weakness broadened across most grades |
| Brass/Bronze | Unchanged | Stabilized after prior-session declines |
BEIJING (Scrap Monster): Chinese scrap metal prices remained mixed on the ScrapMonster Price Index on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as weakness in copper and stainless steel was partly offset by gains in selected aluminum grades.
The three major clean copper grades each slipped CNY 50 per metric ton. The decline extended copper’s recent losing streak, but the size of the move was considerably smaller than during the previous two sessions.
Aluminum continued to recover selectively, with five listed grades advancing CNY 50 per metric ton for a second straight session. Stainless steel moved in the opposite direction, with all listed grades except 201 SS declining.
Brass/bronze stabilized after Tuesday’s decline, while steel remained unchanged.
Three-Session Trend Shows Copper Losses Slowing
The day-over-day move tells only part of the story. The pace of decline in major Chinese copper scrap grades has slowed substantially since the start of the week.
| Benchmark Grade/Group | Sept. 14 | Sept. 15 | Sept. 16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major clean copper | −CNY 1,300/MT | −CNY 750/MT | −CNY 50/MT |
| 6063 / Ingots / E.C. Wire / Old Cast / Old Sheet | −CNY 200/MT | +CNY 50/MT | +CNY 50/MT |
| 310 Stainless | −CNY 100/MT | −CNY 100/MT | −CNY 150/MT |
| Red / Yellow Brass | −CNY 200/MT | −CNY 50/MT | Unchanged |
| #1 HMS / Cast Iron | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
The three major clean copper grades have now declined by a cumulative CNY 2,100 per metric ton over the three sessions, but Wednesday’s CNY 50 decline was substantially smaller than the CNY 1,300 and CNY 750 losses recorded on Monday and Tuesday.
Copper Scrap Prices
Copper remained under modest downward pressure, although the daily move was considerably smaller than earlier in the week.
- #1 Copper Bare Bright, #1 Copper Wire and Tubing and #2 Copper Wire and Tubing: down CNY 50 per MT each.
- #1 Insulated Copper Wire (85% Recovery), #2 Insulated Copper Wire (50% Recovery), Cu/Al Radiators, Heater Cores and Harness Wire (35% Recovery): unchanged.
- Copper Transformer Scrap, Cu Yokes, Scrap Electric Motors and Sealed Units: unchanged.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
Aluminum produced the main positive moves of the session, with the same five categories that advanced on Tuesday posting another CNY 50-per-tonne increase.
- 6063 Aluminum Extrusions and Aluminum Ingots: up CNY 50 per MT each.
- E.C. Aluminum Wire, Old Cast and Old Sheet: up CNY 50 per MT each.
- Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Transformers, Used Beverage Cans (UBC) and Zorba 90% NF: unchanged.
The gains followed broad losses on September 14 and a partial rebound on September 15, pointing to a more stable aluminum tape in the middle of the week.
Steel Scrap Prices
Steel remained the most stable segment of the tracked China market.
- #1 HMS: unchanged.
- Cast Iron Scrap: unchanged.
Both grades have now remained flat through the first three sessions of the week.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
Stainless steel recorded the broadest weakness of the September 16 session.
- 201 SS: unchanged.
- 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning and Shredded SS: down CNY 50 per MT each.
- 309 SS and 316 SS Solid: down CNY 100 per MT each.
- 310 SS: down CNY 150 per MT.
The weakness broadened from the previous session. On September 15, 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning and Shredded SS had remained unchanged, while 309 SS and 316 SS fell CNY 50 and 310 SS declined CNY 100 per metric ton.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
Brass and bronze stabilized after losing ground in the previous session.
- Brass Radiator: unchanged.
- Red Brass and Yellow Brass: unchanged.
Red Brass and Yellow Brass had each declined CNY 50 per metric ton on September 15.
Market Read
Wednesday’s tape points to a market that remained divided by metal rather than moving in a single direction.
Copper continued to decline, but the size of the daily loss narrowed sharply for a second consecutive session. That moderation is notable after the three major clean grades lost a combined CNY 2,100 per metric ton over September 14-16.
Aluminum showed the opposite short-term pattern. Five major listed categories gained CNY 50 per metric ton for a second consecutive session, extending the recovery from Monday’s broad decline.
Stainless steel remained the weakest part of Wednesday’s market, with losses spreading into 304 grades and deepening in 309, 310 and 316 material. Brass and bronze stabilized, while #1 HMS and Cast Iron Scrap continued to show no daily movement.
The result was a mixed session, but with an important shift beneath the headline: copper remained lower while its rate of decline slowed, whereas stainless weakness became broader.
September 16 Moves at a Glance
- Major clean copper: −CNY 50/MT
- Selected aluminum grades: +CNY 50/MT
- 304 stainless grades: −CNY 50/MT
- 309 and 316 SS: −CNY 100/MT
- 310 SS: −CNY 150/MT
- Brass/Bronze: Unchanged
- Steel: Unchanged