China announced new standards for imports of high-grade copper and aluminium scrap on Jan 19. The standards reclassify metal scrap as a resource permitting its import into the country after China restricted solid waste imports with an intention to reduce it to zero by the end of 2020. The new standards will come into effect from July 1, 2020.
Traders worldwide are waiting to see how new standards for high-grade copper and aluminum scrap from China’s market regulator affects their shipments to the country.
China, the world’s largest scrap consumer, introduced the measures in a bid to mitigate environmental damage. The minimum copper content for copper scrap No. 3, like bare bright copper wire, is down to 94pc. Such high copper content is consistent with upwards of 99pc of copper scrap used in the market. Importing other grades of copper that have lower low copper content is still permitted, as determined by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, which will support copper refineries’ efforts to refill feedstock.
The minimum content requirement for aluminum and aluminum alloy is 100pc recycled aluminum ingots, 98p aluminum castings, and 91pc aluminum blocks.
| Categorisation of copper | Name | Code | Metal Recovery % | Copper Content % |
| Copper wire | bare bright | RCu-1A | 98 | 99.9 |
| #1 copper wire | RCu-1B | 97 | 99 | |
| #2 copper wire | RCu-1C | 94 | 99 | |
| Copper processing material | #1 copper material | RCu-2A | 97 | 99.9 |
| #2 copper material | RCu-2B | 94 | 99 | |
| #3 copper material | RCu-2C | 92 | 96 | |
| Copper nodules | #1 copper nodule | RCu-3A | 99 | 99.9 |
| #2 copper nodule | RCu-3B | 97 | 99 | |
| #3 copper nodule | RCu-3C | 95 | 94 | |
| Copper flakes | water-washed copper flake | RCu-4A | 94 | 97 |
| Copper turnings | #1 copper turning | RCu-4B | 98 | 97 |
Categorisation of aluminium | Aluminium & Aluminum Alloy Content | Metal Content % | Metal Recovery % |
| Aluminium castings | ≥98 | ≥99.3 | ≥95 |
| Recycled aluminium ingots | 100 | 100 | ≥97 |
| Aluminium blocks | ≥91 | ≥99.1 | ≥92 |
Categorisation of Brass | Name | Code | Brass % | Metal Recovery % | Chemical Composition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | Pb | Zn | |||||
| Yellow brass | yellow brass | RCuZn-1A | 98.5 | 97 | 60 | 0.08 | Remainder |
| brass wire | RCuZn-1B | 98.5 | 95 | 60 | 0.08 | Remainder | |
| White plated brass | brass plates | RCuZn-2 | 98 | 95.5 | 57 | 0.5 | Remainder |
| Brass pipes | pipe | RCuZn-3A | 98.5 | 96.5 | 60 | 0.08 | Remainder |
| condenser tube | RCuZn-3B | 98.5 | 96.5 | 69 | 0.05 | Remainder | |
| Mixed brass | red copper | RCuZn-4A | 97.8 | 95.8 | 75 | 3.5 | Remainder |
| #1 brass shavings | RCuZn-4B | 95.5 | 91.5 | 56 | 4 | Remainder | |
| mixed yellow brass | RCuZn-4C | 95 | 90 | 56 | 4 | Remainder | |