Germany increased its scrap exports by 5% y/y in 2025

Germany increased its exports of ferrous scrap by 5% year-on-year – to 7.7 million tons in 2025, according to Kallanish, citing data from the country’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The value of these exports last year amounted to €4.54 billion.

Scrap imports to the country in 2025 decreased by 9% year-on-year, to 3.98 million tons, with a value of €2.3 billion. The decline in import volumes corresponds to lower production levels in the German steel industry last year.

In February, offers for E3 scrap in Germany rose by 5.3% to €300/t ex-works, although they reached €305/t. In Germany and Austria, growth was supported by winter frosts, which complicated logistics, particularly river transport, as well as weaker imports from neighboring countries. Overall, the European scrap market entered a pause phase in early March.

It should be noted that in 2024, Germany reduced its exports of ferrous scrap by 11% compared to 2023, to 7.1 million tons. This is the lowest figure since data collection began in 2006. The value of these exports for the year amounted to €3.9 billion.

As reported by GMK Center, German steel enterprises reduced steel production by 8.6% compared to 2024, to 34.09 million tons, at the end of 2025. Pig iron production decreased by 10.1% y/y, to 21.87 million tons, over 12 months. Rolled steel production decreased by 5.5% y/y, to 29.76 million tons.