🇬🇧 United Kingdom exports of precious metal scrap: 2024 trade data
Exports of precious metal scrap by the United Kingdom reached $1.82 billion in 2024 (9.8 thousand tonnes). It ranks 4th of 170 countries for exports of this product. The value was almost unchanged from 2023. Over 2017-2024 the trade grew strongly, by about 9% a year on average. The peak in this period was 2021, at $2.70 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Exports of precious metal scrap by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.82B | 9.8K t |
| 2023 | $1.81B | 10.9K t |
| 2022 | $2.12B | 11.3K t |
| 2021 | $2.70B | 20.2K t |
| 2020 | $2.04B | 27.5K t |
| 2019 | $1.35B | 26.6K t |
| 2018 | $1.10B | 21.8K t |
| 2017 | $1.01B | 21.8K t |
Where the United Kingdom exports precious metal scrap to
Spain alone took 53% of it.
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $975.6M | 54% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $234.0M | 13% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $203.4M | 11% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $160.2M | 8.8% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $121.7M | 6.7% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $48.3M | 2.7% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $21.6M | 1.2% |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | $17.8M | 1% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $15.5M | 0.9% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $7.7M | 0.4% |
Types of precious metal scrap under HS 7112
| 7112.91 | Waste and scrap of precious metals: of gold, including metal clad with gold but excluding sweepings containing other precious metals | 54% |
| 7112.92 | Waste and scrap of precious metals: of platinum, including metal clad with platinum but excluding sweepings containing other precious metals | 24% |
| 7112.99 | Waste and scrap of precious metals: waste and scrap of precious metals including metal clad with precious metals, other than that of gold and… | 21% |
| 7112.30 | Waste and scrap of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal: ash containing precious metal or precious metal compounds | 1.4% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 7112.
Average export price of precious metal scrap
The average declared value was about $185.34 per kg, 63% above the world average of $113.77. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also imports precious metal scrap
Imports of precious metal scrap by the United Kingdom reached $1.35 billion in 2024 (6.8 thousand tonnes). That makes it the 10th largest importer of this product worldwide, out of 122 countries. The largest suppliers were United States (27%), Germany (16%), Singapore (5%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 47%. Among the main suppliers, United Arab Emirates grew fastest (+216% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $362.0M | 27% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $210.4M | 16% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $67.1M | 5% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $61.5M | 4.6% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $57.1M | 4.2% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $53.8M | 4% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $41.9M | 3.1% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $37.3M | 2.8% |
| Taiwan | $36.1M | 2.7% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $36.1M | 2.7% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Kingdom?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 7112: Waste and scrap of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal; other waste and scrap containing precious metal compounds, of a kind uses principally for the recovery of precious metal other than goods of heading 85.49.
Precious metal scrap trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of precious metal scrap imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported precious metal scrap worth $1.35 billion in 2024 (6.8 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import precious metal scrap from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were United States (27%), Germany (16%), Singapore (5%).
What is the average import price of precious metal scrap in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $199.50 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $113.77 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export precious metal scrap?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported precious metal scrap worth $1.82 billion in 2024, mainly to Spain, United States, Germany.
What is the HS code for precious metal scrap?
Precious metal scrap falls under HS heading 7112 (Waste and scrap of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal; other waste and scrap containing precious metal). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading precious metal scrap with the United Kingdom?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United Kingdom with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Precious metal scrap trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Kingdom
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