EU trade in aluminium, copper and stainless steel scrap – January 2025 – June 2026

In H1 2026, destinations not permitted for waste from 21 May 2027 took 76.1% of the tonnage of extra-EU aluminium scrap exports, 85.3% of copper scrap and 82.0% of stainless steel scrap, and for aluminium and copper these shares have been almost constant since the beginning of 2025. The Commission's draft list of 18 September 2026 barely changes this picture, because the countries it authorises to import scrap took at most 1.7% of exports; the scale of the change will therefore be set by the share of scrap that has reached end-of-waste status, which trade statistics do not show – the shares given are an upper bound. The ban will replace the absence of an EU consent procedure above all for aluminium and stainless steel scrap exported to India (31.0% and 59.7% of tonnage), while for copper China prevails (53.1%) – exports of waste there already require notification and consent, and China took most of the increase in exports.