🇺🇸 United States exports of copper scrap: 2024 trade data
Exports of copper scrap by the United States reached $5.44 billion in 2024 (823.6 thousand tonnes). That makes it the largest exporter of this product worldwide, out of 198 countries. That is 15% more than in 2023. Over 2017-2024 the trade grew strongly, by about 10% a year on average.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Exports of copper scrap by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5.44B | 823.6K t |
| 2023 | $4.72B | 761.5K t |
| 2022 | $5.20B | 810.7K t |
| 2021 | $4.70B | 850.3K t |
| 2020 | $2.88B | 713.5K t |
| 2019 | $2.93B | 806.8K t |
| 2018 | $3.26B | 936.7K t |
| 2017 | $2.72B | 859.6K t |
Where the United States exports copper scrap to
China alone took 56% of it. Among the main buyer markets, China grew fastest (+33% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | $3.05B | 56% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $596.7M | 11% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $333.3M | 6.1% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $248.7M | 4.6% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $228.1M | 4.2% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $161.6M | 3% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $135.8M | 2.5% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $121.1M | 2.2% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $120.3M | 2.2% |
| Taiwan | $86.5M | 1.6% |
Average export price of copper scrap
The average declared value was about $6.61 per kg, close to the world average of $6.44.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United States also imports copper scrap
The United States imported $816.4 million of copper scrap in 2024 (136.3 thousand tonnes). It ranks 9th of 131 countries for imports of this product. Most of the value came from Canada (47%), Mexico (42%), Panama (1%). Among the main suppliers, Canada grew fastest (+32% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $384.8M | 47% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $344.8M | 42% |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | $12.0M | 1.5% |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $10.7M | 1.3% |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | $5.6M | 0.7% |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | $5.6M | 0.7% |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | $4.9M | 0.6% |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | $4.7M | 0.6% |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | $3.7M | 0.5% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $3.0M | 0.4% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United States?
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 7404: Copper; waste and scrap.
Copper scrap trade in the United States: questions
What is the value of copper scrap imported by the United States?
The United States imported copper scrap worth $816.4 million in 2024 (136.3 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United States import copper scrap from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Canada (47%), Mexico (42%), Panama (1%).
What is the average import price of copper scrap in the United States?
The average declared import value was about $5.99 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $6.44 per kg.
Does the United States export copper scrap?
Yes. The United States exported copper scrap worth $5.44 billion in 2024, mainly to China, Canada, South Korea.
What is the HS code for copper scrap?
Copper scrap falls under HS heading 7404 (Copper; waste and scrap). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading copper scrap with the United States?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United States with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Copper scrap trade in other countries
More trade data for the United States
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