Non-Ferrous Metals

As Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

This is not the best of times but certainly the toughest of times for us all. The number of fatalities is continuing to climb and many front-line first-responders have made the ultimate sacrifice. Furthermore, country after country has implemented a lockdown covering all non-essential business activities; although some nations are gradually reopening their economies, both demand and supply have been wound down to a level that is not easy to bear.

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David Chiao , Uni-All Group Ltd (USA), President of the Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• New law enshrines principles of waste reduction and recycling
• Provisions designed to realize zero solid waste imports
• Severe penalties to be imposed for violations

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Ma Hongchang , Regional recycling expert (CHN), provides BIR with a regular update on policy and regulatory developments in China. The following is based on his latest report.

• New Zealand industry up and running but at reduced capacity
• Lower raw material demand from consumers
• Concern over long-term economic impact of relief measures

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Paul Coyte , Hayes Metals (NZL), Vice-President of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Pandemic damages domestic economy
• New approach likely to boost scrap trading
• Consumption makes gradual recovery

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Shen Dong , OmniSource Corporation (USA), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Trade piling up losses on account of lockdowns
• Disruption where supply chain unable to function
• Emerging challenge of labour shortages

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Dhawal Shah , Metco Marketing (IND) PVT Ltd, Senior Vice-President of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Good demand for No. 2 copper scrap
• Difficult to find outlets for low-grade aluminium scrap
• Surge in stainless steel scrap exports

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Nick Hinohara , Metal Solution Provider (JPN), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Steep fall in domestic scrap demand for casting of secondary ingots and auto parts
• Big drop in volumes through scrap yards but demand support from Asia
• Mexican GDP forecast for 2020 as dire as -10%

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Alejandro Jaramillo , Glorem SC (MEX), General Delegate of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Saudi Arabia to raise VAT from 5% to 15% in July 
• UAE announces four-month ban on ferrous scrap and recovered paper exports
• Most scrap businesses operating at slower pace owing to virus-related measures 

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Ibrahim Aboura , Aboura Metals (ARE), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Not much scrap available with many industries yet to return to work
• ITAC issuing no export permits at present
• Economy forecast to contract by 6.5% this year

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Sidney Lazarus , Non-Ferrous Metal Works (ZAF) (Pty) Ltd, Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Lack of available scrap and tightened liquidity
• Fears over second wave of infections
• Economic projections significantly weaker

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Darrell Wong , Liberty Iron & Metal, Inc. (USA), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Domestic secondary aluminium demand awakening very slowly
• Secondary ingot prices hold steady but scrap values fall
• Tighter copper scrap volumes and spreads

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Rick Dobkin , Shapiro Metals (USA), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Industry activity levels slowly picking up
• Demand apparent for copper and zinc units
• Hardly any car batteries collected in recent weeks

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Jurgen van Gorp , Metallo Belgium N.V., Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Russia ends national lockdown ahead of schedule
• Lack of non-ferrous scrap available in Russia
• Scrap collection recovering in Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic

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Natallia Zholud , TRM Group (BLR), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Economy expected to shrink in 2020
• Less demand for aluminium and smelters working at below capacity
• Scrap activity increasing week by week

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Murat Bayram , European Metal Recycling Limited (GBR), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Most non-ferrous businesses deeply affected by crisis
• Need for companies to be versatile
• Simplification of regulatory and administrative framework required

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Leopoldo Clemente , LCD Trading S.R.L (ITA), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Scandinavian businesses slowly reopening
• Competition increasing among Denmark’s non-ferrous scrap dealers
• Margins extremely low amid struggle to find material

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Mogens Bach Christensen , H.J.Hansen Genvindingsindustri A/S (DNK), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division

• Virus inflicts major damage on the two economies
• Conditions improve for copper and brass
• Fall in secondary aluminium scrap prices

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José Martin Neumann , TSR Metals GmbH & Co. KG (DEU), Representative of the Young Traders Group

• UK has highest virus death toll in Europe
• Scrap volumes fall by an estimated 75%
• Good demand for copper

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Susie Burrage , Recycled Products Ltd (GBR), Board Member of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division