1 million tonnes-plus lost from US ferrous shipments

Global – Compared to January-July 2015, US ferrous scrap exports were 1.13 million tonnes – or 14.5% – lower across the first seven months of the current year.

The USA shipped abroad just 850 772 tonnes of ferrous scrap in the month of July despite a recovery in exports to leading outlet Turkey, Commerce Department figures confirm. Having bought only 88 028 tonnes of US scrap in June, Turkish buyers upped the tally to 217 154 tonnes the following month.

In the year to end-July, the USA sent out a total of 6.68 million tonnes of ferrous scrap, with the 1.702 million tonnes dispatched to Turkey representing a year-on-year decline of 21.6%. Taiwan’s US purchases tumbled 42.6% to 738 538 tonnes while South Korean bookings slid 21.2% to 494 003 tonnes.

US exporters made up some of this lost ground by increasing their shipments to India and Mexico, the former by 33.8% to 695 295 tonnes and the latter by almost 28% to 773 328 tonnes.

US ferrous scrap shipments to Canada edged 2.8% higher to 439 887 tonnes in the opening seven months of this year whereas deliveries to China fell more than 28% to 328 653 tonnes when compared to January-July 2015.