Copper Scrap Price Tracker
Week of 15–21 September 2026
1. Executive Summary
1.1 Global Copper Scrap Market Overview
1.2 Weekly Copper Scrap Price Movement
1.3 Key Price Drivers During the Reporting Period
1.4 Global Supply and Demand Highlights
1.5 Scrap Market Tightness and Availability
1.6 Key Regional Market Developments
1.7 Major Risks and Market Watchpoints
1.8 Short Term Market Outlook
2. Global Copper Price Benchmark Analysis
2.1 COMEX Copper Futures Price Analysis
2.2 LME Copper Three Month Price Analysis
2.3 Copper Price Movement During the Week
2.4 Daily Price Movement and Volatility
2.5 Refined Copper Versus Scrap Copper Price Relationship
2.6 Copper Scrap Price Discount to Refined Copper
2.7 Historical Copper Price Context
2.8 Key Factors Influencing Benchmark Prices
3. Global Copper Scrap Price Analysis
3.1 Global Copper Scrap Price Overview
3.2 Bare Bright Copper Wire Pricing
3.3 No. 1 Copper Scrap Pricing
3.4 No. 2 Copper Scrap Pricing
3.5 Copper Bearing Scrap Pricing
3.6 Scrap Grade Price Differentials
3.7 Regional Price Variations
3.8 Scrap Collection and Processing Cost Impact
3.9 Scrap Price Relationship With Refined Copper
4. Supply Side Dynamics
4.1 Global Copper Mine Production
4.2 U.S. Copper Mine Production
4.3 Copper Mine Production Growth Trends
4.4 Declining Ore Grades
4.5 Mine Development Pipeline
4.6 Existing Mine Production Constraints
4.7 Grasberg Mine Production Recovery
4.8 Freeport McMoRan Production Developments
4.9 Global Mining Investment Requirements
4.10 Supply Disruption Risks
4.11 Long Term Structural Supply Constraints
5. Demand Side Dynamics
5.1 Global Copper Demand Overview
5.2 Construction and Infrastructure Demand
5.3 Power Grid and Electrification Demand
5.4 Electric Vehicle Related Copper Demand
5.5 Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Demand
5.6 Renewable Energy Related Demand
5.7 Defence Sector Copper Demand
5.8 Industrial Manufacturing Demand
5.9 Emerging Sources of Copper Demand
5.10 Long Term Copper Demand Outlook
6. Copper Scrap Supply and Recycling Market
6.1 Global Copper Scrap Generation
6.2 Old Scrap and Post Consumer Scrap
6.3 New Manufacturing Scrap
6.4 Scrap Collection Infrastructure
6.5 Scrap Processing and Recovery
6.6 Secondary Copper Production
6.7 Scrap Consumption by End User
6.8 Brass Mill Scrap Consumption
6.9 Wire Rod Mill Scrap Consumption
6.10 Secondary Smelter Scrap Consumption
6.11 Scrap Recycling Capacity
6.12 Copper Recovery Rates
6.13 Recycling Investment Trends
7. Copper Scrap Grade Analysis
7.1 Copper Scrap Classification
7.2 Bare Bright Copper Wire
7.3 No. 1 Copper
7.4 No. 2 Copper
7.5 Copper Bearing Scrap
7.6 Insulated Copper Wire
7.7 Brass and Copper Alloy Scrap
7.8 Irony Brass and Lower Grade Materials
7.9 Copper Content and Contamination
7.10 Grade Based Price Differentials
7.11 Processing Requirements by Scrap Grade
8. Scrap Market Economics
8.1 Copper Scrap Pricing Mechanism
8.2 Refined Copper to Scrap Price Spread
8.3 Scrap Collection Economics
8.4 Scrap Processing Economics
8.5 Secondary Refining Economics
8.6 Scrap Versus Concentrate Economics
8.7 Furnace Charge Economics
8.8 Scrap Availability and Procurement Costs
8.9 Recycling Margins
8.10 Factors Influencing Scrap Market Profitability
9. Trade and Inventory Dynamics
9.1 Global Copper Scrap Trade
9.2 U.S. Copper Scrap Trade
9.3 China Copper Scrap Imports
9.4 India Copper Scrap Imports
9.5 Major Copper Scrap Trade Corridors
9.6 Refined Copper Trade Flows
9.7 LME Warehouse Inventories
9.8 COMEX Warehouse Inventories
9.9 Inventory Positioning and Price Impact
9.10 Physical Copper Premiums
9.11 China Yangshan Copper Premium
10. Regional Copper Scrap Market Analysis
10.1 North America
10.1.1 U.S. Copper Scrap Market
10.1.2 Chicago Copper Scrap Market
10.1.3 Regional U.S. Price Variations
10.1.4 U.S. Scrap Collection and Consumption
10.1.5 U.S. Trade and Tariff Developments
10.2 Europe
10.2.1 European Copper Scrap Market
10.2.2 Scrap Availability
10.2.3 Refined Copper Price Transmission
10.2.4 Import and Export Dynamics
10.3 Asia Pacific
10.3.1 China Copper Scrap Market
10.3.2 China Import Demand
10.3.3 Yangshan Premium
10.3.4 India Copper Scrap Market
10.3.5 MCX Copper Price Dynamics
10.3.6 India Import Dependency
10.3.7 Japan and Southeast Asia Market Dynamics
10.4 Middle East and Africa
10.4.1 Copper Scrap Availability
10.4.2 Import and Export Dynamics
10.4.3 Recycling Infrastructure
11. Trade Policy and Regulatory Environment
11.1 U.S. Copper Tariff Developments
11.2 Potential Refined Copper Import Duties
11.3 Impact of Tariffs on Global Copper Flows
11.4 Impact of Tariffs on Scrap Markets
11.5 Import and Export Regulations
11.6 Scrap Classification Regulations
11.7 Recycling and Environmental Regulations
11.8 Policy Risks for Market Participants
12. Key Copper Scrap Market Drivers
12.1 Mine Supply Constraints
12.2 Electrification Growth
12.3 Power Grid Investment
12.4 Electric Vehicle Adoption
12.5 Data Centre Expansion
12.6 Renewable Energy Deployment
12.7 Recycling Demand
12.8 Refined Copper Price Movement
12.9 Inventory Levels
12.10 Trade Policy and Tariffs
13. Copper Scrap Market Risk Analysis
13.1 Short Term Price Volatility
13.2 Tariff Policy Risk
13.3 Mine Supply Disruption Risk
13.4 Inventory Risk
13.5 Currency Risk
13.6 Scrap Collection Risk
13.7 Processing Capacity Risk
13.8 Demand Slowdown Risk
13.9 Substitution Risk
13.10 Global Economic Risk
14. Global Copper Scrap Market Outlook
14.1 Near Term Price Outlook
14.2 Q4 2026 Market Outlook
14.3 2027 Copper Scrap Market Outlook
14.4 Refined Copper Price Outlook
14.5 Scrap Price Outlook by Grade
14.6 Supply Outlook
14.7 Demand Outlook
14.8 Recycling Outlook
14.9 Investment Outlook
14.10 Key Variables to Monitor
15. Strategic Implications for Market Participants
15.1 Implications for Scrap Collectors
15.2 Implications for Scrap Processors
15.3 Implications for Secondary Smelters
15.4 Implications for Brass Mills
15.5 Implications for Wire Rod Producers
15.6 Implications for Copper Traders
15.7 Implications for Procurement Teams
15.8 Implications for Recycling Companies
15.9 Procurement and Inventory Considerations
15.10 Price Monitoring Indicators
16. Frequently Asked Questions
16.1 Current COMEX Copper Price
16.2 Recent Copper Price Volatility
16.3 U.S. Copper Scrap Supply From Recycling
16.4 Global Copper Supply Gap
16.5 Highest Value Copper Scrap Grades
16.6 Factors Affecting Copper Scrap Prices
16.7 Impact of U.S. Tariffs
16.8 China Copper Scrap Demand
16.9 Copper Recycling Outlook
16.10 Copper Scrap Price Outlook
17. Data Sources and Methodology
17.1 Price Data Sources
17.2 Government Data Sources
17.3 Trade Association Data
17.4 Company Disclosures
17.5 Consultancy and Industry Forecasts
17.6 Market Data Cross Checking
17.7 Price Normalization Methodology
17.8 Regional Data Comparability
17.9 Reporting Period and Frequency
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the COMEX copper price at the close of this tracking week?
COMEX copper futures closed at $6.65 per pound on 21 September 2026, up 0.47% on the day.
Why did copper prices fall sharply on 10 September 2026?
Futures dropped 4.7% intraday after reports that planned U.S. tariffs on refined copper imports were losing momentum.
How much U.S. copper supply currently comes from scrap?
USGS data show roughly 150,000 tons from old scrap and 720,000 tons from new scrap in the latest reporting year.
How large is the projected global copper supply gap?
S&P Global projects demand near 42 million tons by 2040 against mined output peaking around 33 million tons in 2030.
What is the highest-value copper scrap grade in the market?
Bare bright copper wire commands the top price, followed by No. 1 copper and then No. 2 copper, per Recycled Materials Association grading.