Contributor: Stephen Miller

In the Americas, the ongoing conversion to EAF melting is driving demand for prime grades of scrap and increased use of ore-based metallics

The ferrous scrap market is still searching for clues about the direction of the October market.

A compromise has been reached in the pig iron market, sources told SMU. Recall we reported US buyers were bidding $390 per metric ton (mt) FOB or less while sellers were holding sideways at about $400/mt.

There are divergent views among market participants about the direction of scrap prices as we head into October.

SMU uses ferrous scrap survey data to take AI out on a test drive.

There have been developments in the ferrous scrap export market in the Atlantic Basin over the past week that point to weakness in the near future.

The pig iron market in Brazil is currently in flux and there have been few, if any, confirmed cargoes transacted for the US.

When will we see prime scrap become scarce as the worldwide transition to EAF melting increases, especially for HRC production? It's a question I've been asked a lot. 

SMU’s current Scrap sentiment index increased this month while future sentiment declined, according to our latest ferrous scrap survey data.

The scrap market in the US for September shipment has started to settle, with busheling seen down so far.

The Brazilian-US pig iron market has remained quiet, market sources told SMU.

The export market is looking for direction based upon the latest scrap purchases from Northern Europe by Turkish steelmakers. The sentiment was looking bearish, but sellers may see it differently.

Thais Terzian, principal analyst at CRU, gave a presentation of Ore-Based Metallics(OBM), namely pig iron and direct-reduced iron (DRI), and how important they are to the global steel industry.

Panelists laid out what they look for in mergers and acquisitions at SMU Steel Summit 2025 on Tuesday in Atlanta.

The question among scrap players is can the market hold its level in the face of coming mill outages? Opinions are divided on the subject.

Prices remain subdued in US pig iron market, sources said.

The US scrap export market has traded sideways or slightly less for about 60 days, with no real firmness in sight.

The price spread between prime scrap and hot-rolled coil (HRC) narrowed in August, according to SMU’s most recent pricing data.

The US ferrous scrap market remains in doldrums.

What are our scrap survey participants saying about the market?

What the word "sideways" means can depend on where you sit on the procurement spectrum.

Current and future scrap sentiment indices declined this month, according to SMU’s latest ferrous scrap survey data.

The ferrous scrap market for August appears to be settling sideways as the threats posed to the market in July have not materialized.

The ferrous scrap export market off the US East Coat and Gulf Coast has remained basically sideways over the last month. This mirrors the lack of movement in the US domestic market.

The Trump administration has exempted Brazilian pig iron and iron ore from an aggressive "reciprocal" tariff ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.

A scrap trader looks back fondly at blast furnace steelmaking.

The Brazilian pig iron community is playing defense ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for a 50% US tariff on imports from the South American country. The moves indicate the Brazilian producers do expect the tariff to go into effect.

Most market players are hedging their forecasts until the tariffs on imported raw materials are settled. Even then, some are positing the August market will trade sideways.

A tariff on Brazilian pig iron could cause great upheaval in the market.

What to look out for regarding ferrous scrap ahead of Steel Summit.