RMU survey: Ferrous scrap prices seen flattening in April, while non-ferrous scrap prices are on the rise

Recycled Metals Update monthly survey polls over 200 companies — dealers and processors, traders, mills and other segments of the sector.

We list a few of the highlights from this month’s survey.

The latest sentiment found in this month’s survey show 72% of the respondents anticipated that ferrous scrap prices are expected to flatten in April. That’s a reversal from the last survey, when about 77% of respondents anticipated a decline in ferrous for March.

Meanwhile, about 71% of those surveyed expect nonferrous prices to rise in April. This is in line with last month’s survey, as over 50% of the respondents anticipated an increase in pricing for March.

Near-term direction of scrap prices for April (as reported in the March survey)

On the demand side, the vast majority of those surveyed, about 86%, see demand for their products as steady, a more positive trajectory than the previous month, when only about half of respondents saw demand as stable.