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North American Copper Scrap Dips 2¢/Lb After 28¢ Rally
North American clean copper scrap benchmarks edged 2¢/lb lower on October 13 after gaining 28¢/lb over the previous six market sessions. The pullback was closely matched by December COMEX copper, while aluminum, brass/bronze, steel and stainless steel remained unchanged.
By Carolina Curiel
Published October 14, 2026
Market data: October 13, 2026
Market at a Glance
- Copper: Four major clean grades fell ↓2¢/lb.
- Aluminum: → Flat across all listed grades.
- Brass/Bronze: → Flat after Monday’s modest gains.
- Steel: → Flat across all reported benchmarks.
- Stainless Steel: → Flat across every listed grade.
- Seven-session copper trend: Major clean grades remain ↑26¢/lb from their October 5 starting point.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal buying benchmarks were mostly unchanged on Tuesday, October 13, with a small copper pullback providing the only meaningful movement on the ScrapMonster Price Index.
#1 Copper Bare Bright, #1 Copper Wire & Tubing, #2 Copper Wire & Tubing and #3 Copper-Light Copper each declined ↓2¢/lb.
All tracked aluminum, steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze benchmarks held their previous-session levels.
Benchmark buying-price move: ScrapMonster reports benchmark market movements. Local yard quotes can vary by grade, location, volume and individual buyer conditions.
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ScrapMonster Exclusive: Copper Gave Back 2¢ — After Gaining 28¢
Tuesday’s decline looks very different when viewed against the full October copper sequence.
Major clean copper grades had accumulated 28¢/lb of gains between October 5 and October 12.
The October 13 decline surrendered just 2¢ of that move, leaving the benchmark grades still 26¢/lb above their October 5 starting point.
Put another way, Tuesday erased only about 7% of the preceding 28¢ advance.
| Market Date | Clean Copper Move | Running Change Since Oct. 5 |
|---|---|---|
| October 5 | ↑8¢/lb | +8¢ |
| October 6 | ↑2¢/lb | +10¢ |
| October 7 | → Flat | +10¢ |
| October 8 | → Flat | +10¢ |
| October 9 | ↑13¢/lb | +23¢ |
| October 12 | ↑5¢/lb | +28¢ |
| October 13 | ↓2¢/lb | +26¢ |
The exchange market delivered an unusually close confirmation.
December COMEX copper settled at approximately $6.7260/lb on October 13, down from $6.7470/lb on October 12.
That is a decline of approximately ↓2.1¢/lb — almost identical to ScrapMonster’s ↓2¢/lb clean-copper adjustment.
Physical scrap and futures are different markets and should not be treated as interchangeable. But after similarly close alignment on October 9 and October 12, Tuesday gives the market a third active session in which the direction and size of the clean-copper benchmark move closely tracked COMEX.
Clean Copper Prices Edge Lower
The October 13 decline was tightly concentrated in the four major clean copper benchmarks.
| Copper Grade | October 13 Change |
|---|---|
| #1 Copper Bare Bright | ↓2¢/lb |
| #1 Copper Wire & Tubing | ↓2¢/lb |
| #2 Copper Wire & Tubing | ↓2¢/lb |
| #3 Copper-Light Copper | ↓2¢/lb |
#1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery and #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery remained → Flat.
Copper Radiator Scrap, Copper Transformer Scrap and Cu Yokes also recorded no change.
Cu/Al Radiator Ends, Cu/Al Radiators, Cu/Al Radiators/Fe, Harness Wire 35% Recovery, Romex Wire, Heater Cores, Scrap Electric Motors, Starters, Sealed Units, Alternator Scrap and Xmas Lights all held their previous benchmarks.
Copper Scrap and COMEX Reverse Together
The October 13 futures move provides a useful comparison with the physical scrap adjustment.
| Copper Benchmark | Oct. 12 | Oct. 13 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major clean copper scrap | +5¢/lb daily move | ↓2¢/lb | ↓2¢/lb |
| December COMEX Copper | $6.7470/lb | $6.7260/lb | ↓2.1¢/lb |
The close match supports the interpretation that Tuesday was a modest copper-market pullback rather than an isolated change in scrap pricing.
Aluminum Scrap Remains Unchanged
Aluminum scrap benchmarks recorded no day-over-day movement.
1100 Scrap, 356 Aluminum Wheels, 6063 Extrusions/Fe, 6063 Extrusions, 5052 Scrap and 6061 Extrusions remained → Flat.
Al/Cu Radiators, Al/Cu Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Radiators, Aluminum Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Transformers and Breakage 50% Recovery were also unchanged.
E.C. Aluminum Wire, Chrome Wheels, Litho Sheets, MLC Clips, Mixed Aluminum Turnings, Old Cast, UBC, Old Sheet, Painted Siding and Zorba 90% NF held steady as well.
Brass and Bronze Pause After Monday’s Gain
Brass and bronze prices were unchanged after several major grades gained 1¢/lb on October 12.
70/30 Brass Scrap, 80/20 Brass Scrap, 85/15 Brass Scrap and Brass Radiator all remained → Flat.
Brass Radiator/Fe and Brass Radiator Ends recorded no movement.
Red Brass, Red Borings and Yellow Brass also held steady.
The pause means Monday’s modest brass gains remained intact despite the small reversal in clean copper.
Steel Scrap Prices Stay Flat
Ferrous scrap benchmarks continued their quiet run.
| Steel Grade | October 13 |
|---|---|
| #1 Bundle | → Flat |
| #1 Busheling | → Flat |
| #1 HMS | → Flat |
| HMS 80/20 | → Flat |
| Sheet Metal | → Flat |
| Shredded Auto Scrap | → Flat |
| Structural Steel | → Flat |
The continued lack of movement reinforces the divide between recent copper volatility and the much quieter ferrous benchmark market.
Stainless Steel Shows No Variation
All listed stainless steel benchmarks remained unchanged.
201 SS, 301 SS, 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS, 310 SS, 330 SS and 316 SS Solid recorded → Flat daily readings.
Recent Copper Rally Remains Mostly Intact
The October 13 adjustment is the first decline in the latest clean-copper sequence, but it is small relative to the gains that preceded it.
Major clean grades rose a cumulative 10¢/lb on October 5–6, paused for two sessions, then added another 18¢/lb across October 9 and October 12.
Tuesday's 2¢ decline reduces that seven-session gain to 26¢/lb.
What to Watch Next
Copper consolidation: Tuesday erased only 2¢ of the preceding 28¢ clean-copper advance. Another small move would look more like consolidation; a larger reversal would begin to challenge the recent upward sequence.
COMEX alignment: December copper fell 2.1¢/lb while clean scrap declined 2¢/lb. The two benchmarks have now tracked one another unusually closely across several active sessions.
U.S. copper inventories: Large commercial inventories remain concentrated in the United States, while global copper pricing continues to respond to regional availability and trade-policy expectations.
Brass: Brass held Monday’s 1¢/lb gains even as copper slipped, making the next brass adjustment useful for judging whether the two markets remain directionally linked.
Aluminum: Aluminum remains absent from the recent copper volatility. A new move would indicate whether non-ferrous strength or weakness is beginning to broaden.
Steel: Ferrous benchmarks remain unchanged, leaving the current North American scrap story overwhelmingly copper-driven.
ScrapMonster Market Read: October 13 looks more like a pause in the copper rally than a reversal. The four major clean grades gave back only 2¢/lb after adding 28¢ over the previous six sessions, leaving them still 26¢ higher than their October 5 starting point. The near-perfect match with December COMEX copper’s 2.1¢ decline strengthens that interpretation. More importantly, the weakness did not spread: insulated copper, brass, aluminum, stainless and steel all held steady. For yards and brokers, the next session will help determine whether clean copper is simply consolidating after a sharp repricing or whether a broader pullback is beginning.
Sources: ScrapMonster Price Index; December COMEX copper historical market data.
