Brokerage & Commodities

Steel Scrap: Technical Data Sheet & Sourcing

Access international classifications for recycled steel scrap (HMS 1&2, Shredded E40, New Industrial Scrap E3) and facilitate matchmaking between recycling yards, international traders, and electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills.

Contract Types

Bulk Maritime Cargoes (Supramax/Handysize) & Containerized Spot Sales
Quality Standards

Compliant with ISRI (200-206) / European EN 10250 specifications
Main Hubs

Turkey (Iskenderun/Aliaga), Rotterdam, Hamburg, US East Coast, India

Definition & Classification

What is Recycled Steel Scrap?

The Steel Scrap Steel Scrap is the vital secondary raw material for modern decarbonized steelmaking. It is melted in Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) to produce new steel with up to 75% lower carbon footprint compared to traditional blast furnace routes.

Global benchmark categories include heavy melting steel (HMS 1&2), shredded auto scrap (Shredded E40), new industrial scrap (E3 / Busheling), and machining turnings.

Technical Specifications of Main Categories

HMS 1 (ISRI 200-202)Heavy steel, thickness ≥ 6 mm, max length 1.5 m

HMS 2 (ISRI 203-206)Structural steel, thickness ≥ 3 mm, galvanized allowed

Shredded E40 (ISRI 211)Magnetically separated shredded scrap, density ≥ 0.9 t/m³

HMS 1&2 Mix (80:20 / 70:30)Most widely traded seaborne export standard

Max Sterile Impurities≤ 1% (HMS 1) to ≤ 1.5% (HMS 2)

Undesirable ElementsCopper (Cu) ≤ 0.25%, Sulfur (S) ≤ 0.05%, Phosphorus (P) ≤ 0.05%

Global Market

Global Trade Flows & Key Players

International scrap trade features massive flows from industrialized nations to regional steel production hubs:

Turkey: World's leading seaborne steel scrap importer (setting the global benchmark price for Platts HMS 1&2 80:20 CFR Turkey).
European Union & United States: Primary export basins (via ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Boston, New York) supplying global trade.
Southeast Asia & India / Pakistan: Rapidly growing steel mills absorbing substantial bulk and containerized volumes (20ft FCL).
Steel Decarbonization: Sustained demand for high-purity scrap (E3/Busheling) by steelmakers committed to low-carbon transitions.