SMM Analysis: According to GAC data, China imported 73,000 mt of copper anode (HS code: 74020000) in June 2026, up 6.34% MoM and 6.63% YoY. Cumulative imports from January to June 2026 totaled 404,900 mt, up 6.87% YoY...

[SMM Analysis: 2026 Copper Anode Market H1 Review and Outlook: Supply Contraction Reverses the Pattern] In H1 2026, the core operating logic of China's copper anode market can be summarized as: the commissioning of projects outside China drove a recovery in import growth, but tightening domestic secondary copper policies rapidly reversed the supply-demand pattern from loose in Q1 to tight in Q2......

Looking back at 2025, as the transitional implementation year for the "reverse invoicing" policy, the National Development and Reform Commission's "Document No. 770" explicitly required the termination of local governments' non-compliant investment promotion cooperation. Under the policy guidance of building a unified national market, the copper scrap industry has been gradually moving toward a standardized and compliant development track.

American Recycler News, a key publication covering the recycling and scrap industry, announced a change in ownership and leadership, potentially signaling shifts in how industry intelligence and market analysis will be communicated going forward.

In January-October 2025, Ukraine’s scrap industry increased its exports of ferrous scrap by 52.1% compared to the same period in 2024, to 345.2 thousand tons. This figure has already exceeded last year’s total shipments by more than 52 thousand tons. Poland remains the key export destination. Over 10 months, 285.26 thousand tons of raw materials were sent to the Polish market, which is 75.4% of the total export volume and 43.8% more compared to January-October 2024. Another 22.52 thousand tons of scrap were sent to Greece (+1.5% y/y), 8.72 thousand tons to Bulgaria (0.01 thousand tons a year ago), and 4.41 thousand tons to Germany (-23.9% y/y). In October, Ukrainian scrap companies exported 33.36 thousand tons of raw materials, which is 35.9% more y/y and 15.9% m/m. Revenue from scrap exports in October increased by 16% compared to the previous month and by 32.4% y/y – to $9.48 million. In January-October, the indicator increased by 43.4% y/y – to $103.05 million.

Germany's aluminum scrap import value reached $919 million in H1 2024 and $851 million in H1 2025 (January-May only), with its share among the top five globally declining slightly from 17.8% to 16.2%. Imports decreased from 526,873 mt to 446,476 mt (January-May data), remaining largely stable after time-dimension adjustment. However, Germany's aluminum scrap industry faces structural challenges: attracted by US tariff advantages, substantial European aluminum scrap flows to the US, causing a local supply deficit; Turkey, with lower energy costs and access to Russian resources, competes with Germany in aluminum processing, weakening its industry competitiveness; weak demand from the construction and EV sectors, coupled with high energy costs and inflationary pressures, further suppresses aluminum scrap imports.