Copper Scrap Export Price Stays Flat, Tokyo

Market price of exporting copper scrap keeps flat with potential increase around Tokyo. Nippon Mining & Metals raised the electrolytic copper ingot price, the domestic market indicator, to 540,000 yen per tonne last week, the highest in a month. Meanwhile, Chinese scrap importers are decreasing the purchase with an expectation copper market price downturns. About 90% of Japanese copper scrap export is bound for China.

The market price is 260-270 yen per kilogram for non-shredded brass based mix scrap, with relatively less iron and stainless steel while 160-170 yen per kg for thin electric wire scrap with insulator (containing copper at 40-42%).

A large exporter said scrap generation maintains small and the arrival volume is almost as much as shipment volume. However, the demand from Chinese importers stays weak. The market price doesn’t rise.

Scrap exporters pay 270-290 yen for non-shredded brass based mix scrap while some pay as high as 300 yen for high grade scrap. Exporters are refraining from high prices when Chinese demand is not strong. As to thin electric wire scrap with insulator, exporters pay 200 yen per kg for high grade scrap containing 43-44% or more copper. The market price is even high for high grade scrap.