US copper scrap exports decreased by 14.1pc to 663,387mt in January-September from a year earlier, according to the latest trade data from the US Census Bureau.
Copper scrap exports fell by 2.1pc in September to 64,992mt from the same month last year, recovering from a 10.8pc shortfall in August.
Exports to China in September fell to 2,333mt, compared with 3,858mt in the prior month. Meanwhile, shipments to South Korea increased to 1,312mt over 1,123mt in August. Germany was the third-largest importer of US copper scrap at 1,167mt in September.
Compared to September 2019, bare bright copper scrap exports rose by 24.5pc to 5,510mt while #1 and #2 copper exports declined by 28pc and 13pc to 3,655mt and 7,976mt, respectively. Other copper scrap exports also decreased by 2.7pc to 28,722mt. Refined copper scrap exports increased by 9.4pc to 14,316mt in September.
Imports of copper scrap into the US in the first nine months fell short by 2.5pc over the past year, tallying at 78,110mt. For September, imports grew by 15.6pc on an annual basis to 7,858mt.