By North American Scrap Prices Hold Steady as Copper, Aluminum Edge Lower
Copper and aluminum were the only categories to move on the ScrapMonster Price Index Wednesday, both posting marginal declines, while steel, stainless steel, and brass/bronze held unchanged.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal prices remained largely unchanged on the ScrapMonster Price Index as of Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Copper and aluminum were the only scrap categories to register price movements, with both commodities posting marginal declines from the previous day.
What Readers Should Know
- Only two of the five tracked categories — copper and aluminum — moved on the Index; both slipped versus the prior session.
- Steel, stainless steel, and brass/bronze scrap prices were fully unchanged across all listed grades.
- Multiple copper sub-grades, including wire, tubing, and bare bright, recorded declines.
- Several aluminum sub-grades, from extrusions to turnings, also moved lower.
- Figures reflect the ScrapMonster Price Index as of Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
- Copper: Posted a marginal decline.
- Aluminum: Registered a slight dip.
- Brass/Bronze: Remained unchanged.
- Stainless Steel: Held steady.
- Steel: Continued to show a flat trend.
Why Copper and Aluminum Slipped
Copper and aluminum were the two categories driving the day's movement, with declines concentrated in select sub-grades rather than across the board. Every other tracked commodity — steel, stainless steel, and brass/bronze — showed no variation from the previous session.
Copper Scrap Prices
Alternator scrap prices remained unchanged from the previous day. Meanwhile, #1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, and #1 Copper Bare Bright prices edged down by $0.01 per lb.
Prices for #1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery and #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery held steady on the Index. #3 Copper-Light Copper prices also declined by $0.01 per lb.
Prices for Copper Radiator scrap, Copper Transformer Scrap, Cu Yokes, 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, and Xmas Lights remained unchanged from the previous day.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
1100 Scrap, 3003 Scrap, 356 Aluminum Wheels, 6063 Extrusions, 6063 Extrusions/Fe, 5052 Scrap, and 6061 Extrusions prices edged lower by $0.01 per lb from the previous day.
Prices for Al/Cu Radiators and Al/Cu Radiators/Fe remained unchanged. Aluminum Radiators, Breakage 50% Recovery, Aluminum Radiators/Fe, and Aluminum Transformer prices also held steady on the Index.
E.C. Aluminum Wire prices declined by $0.02 per lb, the largest aluminum move of the day.
Meanwhile, Chrome Wheels, Litho Sheets, MLC Clips, Mixed Aluminum Turnings, Old Cast, UBC, Old Sheet, Painted Siding, and Zorba 90% NF prices decreased by $0.01 per lb from the previous day's levels.
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Steel Scrap Prices
#1 Bundle and #1 Busheling prices remained unchanged. #1 HMS and HMS 80/20 also held steady. Prices for Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap, and Structural Steel remained unchanged on the Index.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
201 SS and 301 SS prices remained unchanged from the previous day. 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS, and 310 SS prices also held steady. Also, 330 SS and 316 SS Solid prices remained unchanged on the Index.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
The Brass/Bronze Scrap market in North America remained unchanged on the Index. Prices for 70/30 Brass Scrap, 80/20 Brass Scrap, 85/15 Brass Scrap, and Brass Radiator Scrap held steady from the previous day.
Meanwhile, Brass Radiator/Fe and Brass Radiator Ends prices also remained unchanged. Red Brass, Red Borings, and Yellow Brass recorded no variation on the Index.
What Happens Next
The ScrapMonster Price Index updates daily across copper, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and brass/bronze grades. Readers tracking day-to-day movement can follow the next update on the Index for real-time changes.
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People Also Ask
Which scrap categories changed price on August 12, 2026?
Copper and aluminum were the only categories to move on the ScrapMonster Price Index; both declined marginally. Steel, stainless steel, and brass/bronze held unchanged.
How much did key copper grades fall?
#1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright, and #3 Copper-Light Copper each fell by $0.01 per lb.
Which aluminum grade posted the largest decline?
E.C. Aluminum Wire fell the most, down $0.02 per lb, compared with $0.01-per-lb declines across most other aluminum grades.
Did steel scrap prices change?
No. #1 Bundle, #1 Busheling, #1 HMS, HMS 80/20, Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap, and Structural Steel all held steady.
Were brass and bronze scrap prices affected?
No. All major brass and bronze grades, including Red Brass and Yellow Brass, remained unchanged from the previous day.
