The global copper scrap trade is entering a new cycle of restructuring. Over the past decade, the global trade network for copper scrap has been highly dependent on China. However, since China implemented the Solid Waste Import Ban in 2018, the global supply chain has been forced to reorganize, and a large volume of copper scrap has been redirected to Southeast Asian countries. By 2020, as Southeast Asian countries gradually tightened import controls, the global copper scrap market ongoing a “second phase of flow rebalancing.”

【SMM Scrap Aluminium Market Analysis】ASEAN’s aluminium scrap trade is emerging as a strategic pillar in the global shift toward low-carbon manufacturing. Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam dominate regional flows, but regulatory fragmentation and illicit trade challenge market stability. Recent U.S.–ASEAN critical-minerals deals and expanded ties with Canada and China highlight growing global interest in the region’s recycling capacity. To realise its potential, ASEAN must harmonise policies, strengthen traceability, and build a cohesive circular-economy framework for sustainable aluminium production.