China Increases its Presence in the US Scrap Sector in 2023

July 09, 2024

A year-end review of statistics calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau and collated by the U.S. Geological Survey shows buyers from China increased their presence in the nonferrous scrap export market in 2023 compared with the year before. In the ferrous scrap recycling sector, meanwhile, the most notable statistic of 2023 might be the overall 9.2 percent drop in recycled steel shipped from the U.S. compared with 2022. By percentage generated, copper-bearing scrap was the most heavily exported recycled commodity from the U.S. compared with aluminum and steel. More than 875,000 metric tons of copper-bearing scrap were exported from the U.S. in 2023, nearly equaling the 906,000 metric tons consumed in melt shops.

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