The EU reduced scrap exports to 8.1 million tons in 1H2025

In January-June 2025, European Union companies specializing in ferrous scrap operations reduced exports of raw materials to third countries by 0.9% compared to the same period in 2024, to 8.11 million tons. This is evidenced by GMK Center calculations based on Eurostat data.

About 70% of total exports went to Turkey – 5.57 million tons (+15.3% y/y). Other major consumers of raw materials include:

• Egypt – 564,090 tons (-45% y/y);
• India – 482.22 thousand tons (+0.6% y-o-y);
• Pakistan – 249.99 thousand tons (-18.7% y-o-y).

These four countries account for 85% of scrap exports from the EU.

In June 2025, the EU exported 1.09 million tons of ferrous scrap, which is 6.9% less than in June 2024 and 4.4% less than in May. These are the lowest export volumes since September last year.

In June, 750.62 thousand tons of raw materials were sent to Turkish consumers (+28.1% y/y; +7.3% m/m), 78.61 thousand tons to Indian consumers (-35.7% y/y; -3.1% month-on-month), to Egypt – 82.2 thousand tons (-44.4% year-on-year; -36.6% month-on-month), and to Pakistan – 27.09 thousand tons (-56.2% year-on-year; -18.5% month-on-month).

The largest scrap exporters in January-June were: the Netherlands – 1.88 million tons (+43% y/y), Belgium – 1.23 million tons (-4.4% y/y), Poland – 630,670 tons (+8.6% y/y), Germany – 670.08 thousand tons (+10.1% y/y), Denmark – 562.19 thousand tons (+13.8% y/y).

In 2024, scrap exports from the European Union to third countries decreased by 10.8% compared to 2023, to 16.72 million tons. In 2023, the figure grew by 7% y/y – to 18.7 million tons, and in 2022, it fell by 10% y/y to 17.6 million tons – for the first time after more than six years of upward trend.

Steel production in the EU in 2024 increased by 2.6% y/y – to 129.5 million tons. Global steel output fell by 0.9% y/y – to 1.84 billion tons.