Recyclers seek relief from PSR charges

Recyclers are pushing federal regulators for relief from demurrage fees associated with precision scheduled railroading. Lobbyists and representatives from recycling companies want the Surface Transportation Board to require railroads to revisit PSR-related practices that have increased transportation costs for shippers. Seeking to streamline operations, the nation’s largest railroads are giving…

read more

China Drives Out Copper Processors

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…

read more

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…

read more

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…

read more

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…

read more

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…

read more

Flooding Impacts Auto Market

Automotive recyclers and salvage yards may be deluged by vehicles damaged by the hurricanes that have hit southern states in recent months. Massive flooding in Houston and surrounding areas hit by Hurricane Harvey caused widespread damage to vehicles. Cox Automotive estimates that 300,000 to 500,000 cars were damaged, according to…

read more