The scrap metal market is entering 2026 with several forces shaping prices and demand. Whether you're a trader, a yard operator, or a developer building tools for the industry, understanding these trends will help you make better decisions.
Infrastructure Spending Continues
Federal infrastructure spending authorized under recent legislation continues to drive demand for steel and copper. Bridge replacements, highway expansion, broadband buildout, and grid modernization all require significant quantities of metal. This sustained demand provides a floor under ferrous and non-ferrous scrap prices.
EV Battery Recycling Emerges
The first wave of electric vehicle batteries is reaching end-of-life, creating a new recycling stream. While lithium and cobalt get the headlines, EV battery packs also contain significant amounts of copper, aluminum, and steel. Companies building battery recycling facilities need accurate scrap pricing data to model their economics.
Trade Policy Uncertainty
Tariff policy continues to create volatility in scrap metal markets. Export restrictions, import duties, and trade agreements can shift regional pricing quickly. Scrap exporters and importers need real-time pricing data to navigate these shifts.
Technology in the Yard
Scrapyard operations are increasingly digitized. Modern yard management software needs pricing feeds to generate accurate purchase tickets, manage inventory valuation, and set competitive buy prices. The days of calling around for prices or checking a weekly fax are ending.
Data-Driven Pricing
The industry is gradually moving toward more transparent, data-driven pricing. API-accessible pricing data enables a new generation of tools: automated buy-price calculators, real-time margin dashboards, and algorithmic trading of scrap futures. As more participants access standardized data, market efficiency improves.
What This Means for Developers
If you're building for the scrap metal industry, the opportunity is growing. The market is large (over $100 billion in the US alone), increasingly digital, and underserved by modern software tools. Having reliable, programmatic access to scrap pricing data is a prerequisite for most of these applications.
ScrapMetal API provides this foundation: current and historical prices for the most traded scrap grades, delivered via a simple REST API that you can integrate in minutes.