China’s clampdown on copper imports is driving processors to other Asian countries. Exports could follow. Suppliers and processors of scrap copper have sought opportunities elsewhere since China lowered the permissible contaminant threshold for copper imports to 1 percent. Seeking to protect its environment and improve its domestic recycling efforts, China…
The ScrapyardPro Blog
China’s Plastic Imports Shrink
China is projected to import less than 1 percent of the scrap plastic that it did in the first quarter a year ago. In issuing its first round of import permits for 2018, China established a total limit of 9,335 tons of scrap plastic, which was 99 percent less than…
Trump Gets Aluminum Report
President Donald Trump has three months to determine how far he will go to protect U.S. aluminum producers. Trump could levy tariffs or impose quotas if he were to determine that doing so would be in the interest of national security. Federal investigators for the Department of Commerce submitted the…
Database Helps E-scrap Recycling
A new online tool could make e-scrap recycling easier. Recyclers and scrappers can now get breakdowns of the types of recyclable materials in a device, as well as estimates of the quantities. The Urban Mine Platform displays all available data on products put on the market, stocks, composition and waste…
2018 Steel Market Forecast
The World Steel Association projects that global steel demand will increase by 1.6 percent in 2018 to 1,648.1 million tonnes (Mt). Demand increased by 2.8 percent in 2017,worldsteel noted in its steel market forecast for 2017. “Progress in the global steel market this year to date has been encouraging,” T.V. Narendran, Chairman…
Mutilated Coin Program to Resume
Recyclers will once again be able to make money by redeeming recovered coins. The U.S. Mint is relaunching its Mutilated Coin Redemption Program after a two-year hiatus. The Mint suspended the program in November 2015 due to counterfeiting fears. Recycling industry officials have since pushed for its return. “The resumption…
Tax Reform May Help Recyclers
Recyclers could benefit from the tax reform bill that has been signed by President Donald Trump. The reforms include a reduction in the corporate tax rate as well as changes in how certain types of income and expenses are handled. Legislators lowered the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from…
E-scrap market expanding
Efficiently extracting precious metals is key to profitability for recyclers. The growing market for e-scrap shows no signs of slowing as virtually everything these days has some sort of tech component. Recycling electronics reduces harmful waste and chemicals. It also helps meet the demand for the materials needed to produce…
China eases scrap ban
China’s recent announcement that it will not be as strict in banning scrap materials as it once indicated has not resolved the recycling industry’s concerns. Officials still worry that the tightening of scrap supplies to China could affect the industry worldwide. China’s move to ban or reduce its paper and…
Steel Production Still Rising
Steel production rose again in September, both in the US and abroad. At 74.8 million net tons, domestic raw steel production was 3.8% higher than a year ago for the year-to-date through Oct. 28, according to American Iron and Steel Institute statistics. Capability utilization was at 74.6% compared with 72.2% a year ago….