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North American Copper Scrap Drops 36 Cents as Stainless Steel Rises
Major North American clean copper scrap grades fell $0.36 per lb on September 10, 2026, while brass/bronze also moved sharply lower. Stainless steel gained across every listed grade, E.C. Aluminum Wire slipped $0.01 per lb and steel scrap remained unchanged.
By Carolina Curiel
Published September 11, 2026
Key Points
- Copper led the decline: #1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Bare Bright and #3 Light Copper each fell $0.36 per lb.
- Brass/bronze also weakened: Most major grades, including Red Brass and Yellow Brass, dropped $0.07 per lb.
- Stainless steel moved higher: Every listed stainless grade advanced, led by 330 SS at +$0.04 per lb.
- Aluminum was largely flat: E.C. Aluminum Wire was the only listed aluminum grade to move, declining $0.01 per lb.
- Steel held steady: #1 Bundle, #1 Busheling, #1 HMS, HMS 80/20, Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap and Structural Steel were unchanged.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal prices posted a sharply mixed session on the ScrapMonster Price Index on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
Copper and brass/bronze scrap prices moved lower, while stainless steel scrap prices increased across all listed grades. Aluminum was largely unchanged apart from a decline in E.C. Aluminum Wire, and steel scrap prices remained flat.
Copper Scrap Prices
Copper recorded the largest moves of the session.
#1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright and #3 Copper-Light Copper each dropped $0.36 per lb.
Insulated Copper Wire grades declined $0.07 per lb, while Copper Radiator Scrap fell $0.15 per lb.
Alternator scrap decreased $0.01 per lb.
Copper Transformer Scrap declined $0.01 per lb, while Cu Yokes fell $0.02 per lb.
Harness Wire and Heater Cores each decreased $0.05 per lb, while Romex Wire declined $0.07 per lb.
Scrap Electric Motors, Starters, Sealed Units and Xmas Lights each eased $0.01 per lb.
Cu/Al Radiator Ends, Cu/Al Radiators and Cu/Al Radiators/Fe remained unchanged.
Copper Market Context
The sharp September 10 copper decline came during a period of heightened uncertainty in the U.S. copper market.
Reuters reported the same day that the White House had not yet decided whether to impose tariffs on refined copper as officials weighed the potential benefits for domestic mining against the risk of higher manufacturing costs.
Expectations for possible tariffs had previously helped push U.S. copper prices to record highs and encouraged inventory building. The unresolved policy outlook added another source of volatility to a market that had already seen unusually large price swings.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
Aluminum scrap prices were largely unchanged on the Index.
Prices for 1100, 3003, 356 Aluminum Wheels, 6063 Extrusions/Fe, 6063 Extrusions, 5052 Scrap and 6061 Extrusions remained flat.
Al/Cu Radiators, Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Transformers, Breakage 50% Recovery and related categories also held steady.
E.C. Aluminum Wire was the only listed aluminum category to decline, falling $0.01 per lb.
Chrome Wheels, Litho Sheets, MLC Clips, Mixed Aluminum Turnings, Old Cast, UBC, Old Sheet, Painted Siding and Zorba 90% NF were unchanged.
Steel Scrap Prices
Steel scrap prices remained unchanged across all listed categories.
#1 Bundle, #1 Busheling, #1 HMS and HMS 80/20 held steady.
Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap and Structural Steel also recorded no change from the previous day.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
Stainless steel scrap prices moved higher across every listed grade.
201 SS and 301 SS increased $0.01 per lb each.
304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS and 316 SS Solid each gained $0.02 per lb.
310 SS rose $0.03 per lb, while 330 SS posted the largest stainless steel gain at $0.04 per lb.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
Brass and bronze scrap prices declined across most listed categories on the North American Index.
70/30 Brass Scrap, 80/20 Brass Scrap, 85/15 Brass Scrap and Brass Radiator Scrap each fell $0.07 per lb.
Red Brass, Red Borings and Yellow Brass also declined $0.07 per lb.
Brass Radiator/Fe dropped $0.01 per lb, while Brass Radiator Ends remained unchanged.
Market Read
The September 10 session produced a clear divergence across the North American scrap market. Copper and brass/bronze experienced the strongest downside pressure, while stainless steel moved higher and steel remained completely flat.
The size of the copper move was particularly notable because the major clean grades had gained $0.05 per lb just one day earlier, on September 9. The reversal therefore erased that daily gain and pushed copper sharply lower by the end of the September 10 session.
Benchmark buying-price move • Local quotes vary by grade + location.
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