By North American Scrap Mostly Steady as Clean Copper Slips 2 Cents
Four major clean copper grades declined $0.02 per lb in the September 7 ScrapMonster Price Index update, while E.C. Aluminum Wire fell $0.01 per lb. Steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze prices remained unchanged.
By Carolina Curiel
Published September 8, 2026
Key Points
- #1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright and #3 Copper-Light Copper each fell $0.02 per lb.
- E.C. Aluminum Wire declined $0.01 per lb, while every other listed aluminum grade held steady.
- Steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze scrap prices were unchanged across the grades tracked.
- The update was dated September 7, when the Labor Day schedule meant there was no normal September 7 COMEX trade-date settlement.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal prices were broadly steady in the ScrapMonster Price Index update for Monday, September 7, 2026. The limited weakness was concentrated in four copper categories and E.C. Aluminum Wire.
The results did not indicate a broad decline across the scrap market. Most copper and aluminum grades were unchanged, while every listed steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze category maintained its previous level.
September 7 was Labor Day in the United States. Under the CME holiday schedule, orders entered after the Sunday pre-open were assigned to the Tuesday, September 8 trade date. The scrap assessment therefore should not be treated as a direct comparison with a normal Monday COMEX copper settlement.
Copper Scrap Prices
Copper recorded the most notable changes, although the declines were confined to several major clean grades.
#1 Copper Wire and Tubing, #2 Copper Wire and Tubing, #1 Copper Bare Bright and #3 Copper-Light Copper each declined $0.02 per lb.
Alternator Scrap was unchanged. Prices also held steady for #1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery and #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery.
No movement was reported for Copper Radiator Scrap, Copper Transformer Scrap or Cu Yokes. Cu/Al Radiator Ends, Cu/Al Radiators and Cu/Al Radiators/Fe also maintained their previous Index levels.
Harness Wire 35% Recovery, Romex Wire, Heater Cores, Scrap Electric Motors, Starters, Sealed Units and Xmas Lights were unchanged.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
Aluminum prices were almost entirely stable. E.C. Aluminum Wire was the only listed grade to decline, falling $0.01 per lb.
Prices were unchanged for 1100 Scrap, 3003 Scrap, 356 Aluminum Wheels, 6063 Extrusions/Fe, 6063 Extrusions, 5052 Scrap and 6061 Extrusions.
Al/Cu Radiators, Al/Cu Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Radiators and Aluminum Radiators/Fe also held steady. Aluminum Transformers and Breakage 50% Recovery recorded no change.
Chrome Wheels, Litho Sheets, MLC Clips, Mixed Aluminum Turnings, Old Cast, UBC, Old Sheet, Painted Siding and Zorba 90% NF retained their previous Index values.
Steel Scrap Prices
North American ferrous scrap prices remained unchanged across all the major grades covered by the Index.
- #1 Bundle: Unchanged
- #1 Busheling: Unchanged
- #1 HMS: Unchanged
- HMS 80/20: Unchanged
Sheet Metal, Shredded Auto Scrap and Structural Steel also recorded no day-over-day movement.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
Stainless steel scrap prices were stable across the listed grades.
201 SS, 301 SS, 304 SS Solid and 304 SS Turning were unchanged. The same flat trend extended to 309 SS, 310 SS, 330 SS and 316 SS Solid.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
Brass and bronze scrap prices recorded no changes in the North American Index.
Prices held steady for 70/30 Brass Scrap, 80/20 Brass Scrap, 85/15 Brass Scrap and Brass Radiator scrap.
Brass Radiator/Fe and Brass Radiator Ends were unchanged. Red Brass, Red Borings and Yellow Brass also maintained their previous price levels.
Narrow Weakness, Not a Broad Market Decline
Taken together, the September 7 update showed isolated weakness rather than a general retreat in North American scrap prices. The copper declines were limited to four grades, while aluminum weakness was confined to E.C. Aluminum Wire.
The absence of movement across steel, stainless steel and brass/bronze reinforced the broader picture of a stable market during the holiday-dated update.
