Tokyo Copper Scrap Dealers Struggle to Secure Materials from West Japan

Copper scrap processors in East Japan are aggressively purchasing electric wire scrap with insulator from West Japan. Copper scrap generation has maintained seriously low around Tokyo while scrap delivery from North Japan has decreased after Japan Earthquake. Scrap processors in East Japan are dedicated to secure enough volume of copper scrap for several-month delivery quota contracted with copper foil makers and copper alloy fabricators.

Scrap processors get penalized if they cannot deliver copper scrap as much as contracted volume to the users, for instance, paying penalty charges. Copper scrap dealers around Tokyo hadn’t purchased scrap from West Japan since the cost tends to total higher including freight.

However, at present, copper scrap dealers around Tokyo are increasing orders for the dealers in West Japan. One scrap dealer around Osaka said spot orders for insulated electric wire scrap are increasing mainly from copper scrap processors around Tokyo those who have several-month delivery quota. The dealer sold insulated electric wire scrap to the processors of East Japan at more than 20 tonnes in May.

Scrap delivery from North Japan to Tokyo area is rather regulated due to the delay of disaster waste disposals in the areas attacked by the earthquake and tsunami. Replace of electric wires is also delayed in these areas where economic functions haven’t recovered yet.