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North American Copper Scrap Gains 12¢ as China Prices Fall Sharply
North American scrap markets ended the September 11–17 period with copper and brass/bronze higher, aluminum mixed and ferrous prices largely unchanged. Major clean copper grades gained $0.12 per lb across the week, while China’s copper scrap market moved sharply in the opposite direction.
By Carolina Curiel
Published September 18, 2026
Market period: September 11–17, 2026
Weekly Market Snapshot
| Metal | North America | Weekly Read |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | ↑ Major clean grades +$0.12/lb | Broad gains; Xmas Lights led at ↑2.70% |
| Aluminum | ↓ Select grades lower | Most listed grades flat; 6063 and 5052 softened |
| Brass/Bronze | ↑ Red/Yellow Brass +$0.01/lb | Recovered after the previous week’s decline |
| Lead | Flat | Scrap Auto Batteries unchanged |
| Zinc | Flat | New and Old Zinc Die Cast unchanged |
| Steel | Flat | #1 HMS, shredded, HMS 80/20 and busheling unchanged |
| Stainless Steel | ↓ 201 SS −4.76% | Most other monitored grades remained flat |
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): North American scrap metal prices produced a split performance during the week of September 11–17, 2026, according to the ScrapMonster Price Index.
Copper provided the clearest strength. Major clean grades gained $0.12 per lb, while several secondary copper grades also finished higher. Brass and bronze moved modestly higher after weakening the week before.
Aluminum was mostly stable but retained pockets of weakness. Lead, zinc and steel were unchanged across the main grades tracked in this report. Stainless steel was also generally steady, although 201 SS recorded a notable weekly decline.
What This Means for Scrap Operators
- Copper: the clearest upward move of the week. Major clean grades gained ↑$0.12/lb, giving sellers and buyers a meaningful benchmark adjustment to account for.
- Aluminum: no broad market move. Most listed grades were flat, with weakness limited mainly to 6063 Extrusions and 5052 Scrap.
- Brass/Bronze: Red Brass and Yellow Brass recovered ↑$0.01/lb, a modest move compared with copper.
- Steel: benchmark scrap remained flat even as U.S. raw steel output and mill utilization increased, so stronger mill activity had not yet translated into a weekly scrap-price move.
- Stainless Steel: most tracked grades were steady, but 201 SS was a clear exception at ↓4.76%.
- Global signal: North American copper strengthened while comparable Chinese copper grades fell about 4%, showing a clear regional divergence rather than a synchronized global move.
Benchmark Backdrop
Late-week trading unfolded against a shifting monetary-policy backdrop. The Federal Reserve raised the federal funds target range by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4.00% on September 16, while the Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on September 17.
After the ScrapMonster reporting window closed, the Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 1.25% on September 18. These policy moves matter mainly through currencies, financing costs and exchange-traded metal benchmarks; they should not be read as direct explanations for individual scrap-price changes.
Copper Scrap Prices
Copper scrap regained ground across North America during the week, with several major clean grades gaining $0.12 per lb.
Xmas Lights recorded the strongest percentage move, rising ↑2.70%, while #3 Copper-Light Copper gained ↑1.96%.
Cu/Al Radiators, Cu/Al Radiators/Fe, Cu Yokes, Cu/Al Radiator Ends and Heater Cores were unchanged.
Exchange Benchmarks
- COMEX Copper Futures: $6.6210 per lb on September 17, about ↑7¢/lb from the prior week.
- LME Copper 3-month: $14,491.50 per tonne.
The direction of North American clean copper scrap broadly matched the firmer U.S. futures benchmark. The international scrap picture was much less uniform, however, with China recording sharp weekly losses while India edged higher.
North American Copper Highlights
#1 Copper Bare Bright gained ↑$0.12/lb, equivalent to ↑1.87%.
#1 Copper Wire and Tubing rose ↑$0.12/lb, or ↑1.90%, while #2 Copper Wire and Tubing increased ↑$0.12/lb, or ↑1.93%.
Charts
| Category | Weekly Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Copper Bare Bright | ↑ $0.12/lb | ↑1.87% |
| #1 Copper Wire and Tubing | ↑ $0.12/lb | ↑1.90% |
| #2 Copper Wire and Tubing | ↑ $0.12/lb | ↑1.93% |
Regional Copper Comparison
| Region | Bare Bright | #1 Wire & Tubing | #2 Wire & Tubing |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | ↑1.87% | ↑1.90% | ↑1.93% |
| Midwest | ↑1.89% | ↑1.92% | ↑1.95% |
| West Coast | ↑1.84% | ↑1.87% | ↑1.90% |
International Copper Comparison
China: ↓ about 4% | India: ↑ modestly
- China Copper Scrap Prices: #2 Copper Wire and Tubing fell ↓4.07%, while #1 Copper Wire and Tubing declined ↓4.04%.
- India Copper Scrap Prices: all tracked categories ended higher. Copper Sheet Cutting posted the largest absolute gain at ↑ INR 2,000/ton.
Aluminum Scrap Prices
North American aluminum scrap was mostly unchanged during the week, with weakness concentrated in a small number of grades.
6063 Extrusions fell ↓$0.01/lb. 5052 Scrap also edged lower, while E.C. Aluminum Wire, Old Cast and UBC finished unchanged.
Exchange Benchmarks
- COMEX Aluminum Futures: $3,297.55 per metric ton, up ↑$17.95/MT from the previous week.
- LME Aluminum 3-month: $3,301.50 per tonne.
The benchmark market strengthened modestly, but that move did not translate into broad gains across the North American aluminum scrap categories tracked by the Index.
Charts
| Category | Weekly Change |
|---|---|
| E.C. Aluminum Wire | Flat |
| 6063 Extrusions | ↓ $0.01/lb |
| Old Cast | Flat |
| UBC | Flat |
Regional Aluminum Comparison
| Region | 6063 Extrusions | E.C. Wire | Old Cast | UBC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | ↓$0.01/lb | Flat | Flat | Flat |
| Midwest | ↓$0.01/lb | Flat | Flat | Flat |
| West Coast | ↓ | Flat | Flat | Flat |
International Aluminum Comparison
- China Aluminum Scrap Prices: the tracked grades declined across the week. Aluminum Transformers fell ↓1.78% and Aluminum Radiators declined ↓1.72%.
- India Aluminum Scrap Prices: all tracked categories were unchanged.
Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices
Brass and bronze moved modestly higher after declining in the previous reporting period.
Red Brass and Yellow Brass each gained ↑$0.01/lb.
Charts
Regional Brass/Bronze Comparison
| Region | Red Brass | Yellow Brass |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | ↑$0.01/lb | ↑$0.01/lb |
| Midwest | ↑ | ↑ |
| West Coast | ↑$0.01/lb | ↑$0.01/lb |
International Brass/Bronze Comparison
- China: Red Brass and Yellow Brass each fell ↓CNY 700/MT.
- India: Brass Cuttings recorded the largest listed decline at ↓INR 1,000/ton.
See all Brass/Bronze daily reports → | Brass/Bronze Price Index →
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Lead Scrap Prices
North American lead scrap was unchanged during the week, with Scrap Auto Batteries holding at the previous week’s level across the monitored U.S. regions.
Exchange Benchmarks
- COMEX Lead Futures: $1,914.20 per tonne, up ↑$12.02/tonne over the previous week.
- LME Lead 3-month: $1,910.00 per tonne.
International Lead Comparison
- China: Soft Lead and #2 Lead moved lower, while Auto Battery recorded the larger weekly decline among the listed grades.
- India: the tracked lead scrap categories edged lower over the week.
Zinc Scrap Prices
North American zinc scrap remained steady. New Zinc Die Cast and Old Zinc Die Cast both finished unchanged.
Exchange Benchmarks
- COMEX Zinc Futures: $3,888.70 per metric ton, up ↑$13.30/MT.
- LME Zinc 3-month: $3,881.50 per tonne.
International Zinc Comparison
China: ↓3.77% | India: Higher overall
- China: Shred Zinc Scrap fell ↓CNY 700/MT, a ↓3.77% weekly decline.
- India: Tin Slab remained flat while Zinc Slab moved higher.
Steel Scrap Prices
North American ferrous scrap was unchanged during the week. #1 HMS, HMS 80/20, Shredded Auto Scrap and #1 Busheling all held their previous-week levels.
Steel Benchmarks
- Steel Scrap CFR Turkey: $404.00 per tonne
- Steel Rebar FOB Turkey: $615.00 per tonne
- Steel Scrap CFR India: $410.00 per tonne
The flat scrap tape came despite a strong latest reading for U.S. mill production.
American Iron and Steel Institute data show U.S. raw steel output reached 1.900 million net tons in the week ended September 12, up ↑5.1% from the previous week and ↑7.0% year over year. Capability utilization increased to 82.3% from 78.3%.
Regional output: Northeast 126,000 NT; Great Lakes 538,000 NT; Midwest 296,000 NT; Southern 876,000 NT; Western 64,000 NT.
| Category | Weekly Change |
|---|---|
| #1 HMS | Flat |
| Shredded Auto Scrap | Flat |
| HMS 80/20 | Flat |
| #1 Busheling | Flat |
International Steel Comparison
North America: Flat | China: Flat
China Steel Scrap Prices: #1 HMS and Cast Iron Scrap remained unchanged from the previous week.
Stainless Steel Scrap Prices
North American stainless steel was mostly unchanged, but the market was not completely flat.
304 SS Solid held steady, along with the majority of monitored grades. 201 SS, however, fell ↓4.76% over the week.
Regional Stainless Steel Comparison
| Region | 304 SS Solid | 201 SS |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | Flat | ↓ |
| Midwest | Flat | ↓ |
| West Coast | Flat | ↓4.76% |
International Stainless Steel Comparison
North America: Mostly flat, with 201 SS lower | China: Mostly lower
In China, 201 SS remained unchanged, while Shredded SS, 304 SS Solid, 304 SS Turning, 309 SS, 316 SS Solid and 310 SS all declined during the reporting week.
See all Stainless Steel daily reports → | Stainless Steel Price Index →
Get live Stainless Steel prices and historical data with Premium →
North America vs. China and India
| Metal | North America | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | ↑ Clean grades +$0.12/lb | ↓ about 4% | ↑ Copper Sheet Cutting +INR 2,000/ton |
| Aluminum | ↓ Select grades | ↓1.33% | Flat |
| Brass/Bronze | ↑ Red/Yellow Brass +$0.01/lb | ↓ Red/Yellow Brass CNY 700/MT | ↓ Brass Cuttings INR 1,000/ton |
| Lead | Flat | ↓ Modestly | ↓ Modestly |
| Zinc | Flat | ↓3.77% | ↑ Zinc Slab higher |
| Steel | Flat | Flat | — |
| Stainless Steel | ↓ 201 SS 4.76%; most others flat | ↓ Most grades | — |
Market Read
The clearest feature of the September 11–17 market was the divergence between regions.
North American copper scrap strengthened alongside firmer U.S. copper futures, while comparable Chinese copper grades moved sharply lower. India remained slightly firmer. That gap is more informative than a single regional headline because it shows that this was not a synchronized global copper-scrap rally.
Aluminum showed a different pattern. Exchange benchmarks finished modestly higher, but North American scrap remained mostly flat and China weakened. Brass and bronze gained slightly in North America while moving lower in both China and India.
Ferrous scrap was comparatively quiet. North American steel benchmarks remained flat even as U.S. raw steel production rose to 1.900 million net tons and mill utilization climbed to 82.3%. China’s tracked steel scrap grades were also unchanged.
Stainless steel requires the same nuance. Most North American grades were flat, but the sharp decline in 201 SS prevents the segment from being characterized as completely unchanged.
Industry Developments During the Week
- U.S. steel production: U.S. Raw Steel Output Rises 7% YoY on Higher Mill Utilization
- U.S. Steel investment: U.S. Steel Clears Final Hurdle for $475M Fairfield Q&T Project
- Steel imports: U.S. Steel Import Permits Jump 8.9% in August
- European recycling policy: BIR: EU Considers Wider Controls on Recycled Material Exports
- German steel output: German Steel Output Slips as Weak Demand Interrupts Recovery
- Georgetown mill: Sale of Georgetown Steel Mill Canceled
What to Watch: September 21–25
The coming week brings several economic releases that could influence currencies, industrial-demand expectations and base-metal benchmarks.
United States
- Monday, Sept. 21: New York Fed SCE Household Spending Survey
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: Philadelphia Fed Non-Manufacturing Survey; Richmond Fed Manufacturing Survey
- Wednesday, Sept. 23: S&P Global U.S. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMIs
- Friday, Sept. 25: U.S. Durable Goods
Europe
- Wednesday, Sept. 23: Eurozone, Germany and UK flash manufacturing and services PMIs
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Swiss National Bank monetary-policy assessment
Asia
- Monday, Sept. 21: People’s Bank of China Loan Prime Rate decision
Bottom Line
Copper was the strongest part of the North American weekly scrap tape, while brass and bronze also finished modestly higher. Aluminum remained largely range-bound, and lead, zinc and steel showed no meaningful weekly movement.
The main exception within stainless steel was 201 SS, which posted a significant decline even as other major grades remained unchanged.
Internationally, the most important contrast was copper: North American clean grades gained $0.12 per lb while Chinese copper scrap fell roughly 4% across key categories. That divergence will remain worth watching alongside exchange prices, currencies and the next round of manufacturing data.
