Aluminum Scrap Markets
June 25, 2026
Written by Nicholas Bell
June survey responses hinted at an aluminum scrap market entering a different phase than those indicated in May’s results.
Market participants increasingly differentiated between conditions in scrap and primary/semi-fabrication aluminum products. Those distinctions were often most apparent among scrap recyclers and processors.
US aluminum scrap imports increased faster than exports through August, while similar tonnage gains kept net exports near year earlier levels.
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) has filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, challenging the district court’s decision to uphold Oregon’s version of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws that are popping up across the country.
Rio Tinto will exclusively market billet from RevoCast’s new British Columbia plant under a long-term agreement combining primary and recycled aluminum.
Recycler forward expectations swung toward oversupply in September as inventory drawdowns eased and export demand lost August’s improving responses.
Aluminum sheet lead times rose in September even as more respondents became more comfortable with overall supply.
