How to export scrap metal from the UK to the UAE

A signed trade deal is not a deal in force

Planning scrap pricing around zero tariffs is not safe yet. The United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the UAE, have reached a free trade agreement, but an agreement that has been signed is not the same as one that is in force. Until each side has completed its own approval process, the old tariff position applies. Pricing a contract around terms that are not yet live is a good way to lose money.

This covers general metal scrap, not e-waste. Requirements change, so confirm them before you ship.

Where the UK-GCC agreement stands

The UK and the GCC concluded free trade negotiations in May 2026, and the agreement was reported as signed on 20 May 2026. It is the first such agreement the GCC has reached with a G7 country, and it covers all six member states: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Advisers estimate it will eliminate hundreds of millions of pounds of duties a year once it takes effect.

What it has not done, as far as public reporting shows, is take effect. The agreement still has to be finalised legally and ratified by the UK and by the GCC member states, each on its own timetable, before its tariff terms apply. When this guide was written, we found no confirmation that ratification was complete. So the sensible position is to watch it, keep it in mind for longer-term planning, and not to build the terms into any price you are quoting today. Check the UK Department for Business and Trade for the latest status before you rely on it.

On the UK side

On the UAE side

The arrival requirements are the same whichever country the scrap comes from, so they are set out in full in Export Scrap Metal: India to UAE. In short: the right commodity code has to be declared to UAE customs, a composition declaration should accompany the certificate of origin, and, since 14 January 2026, a VAT reverse charge applies to local scrap supplies between UAE VAT-registered businesses, which matters if your buyer resells within the country. What is specific to a UK exporter is the thing to prepare before departure: documents that match exactly, because UAE customs checks them against what is in the container, and a clear agreement with the buyer on who handles each step on arrival.

The UAE export ban does not block UK shipments

What to do while the agreement is still pending

• Price on today's terms. Use the tariff position that applies now, and treat any improvement as a bonus once the agreement takes effect.
• Use flexible contract wording. If you are agreeing a contract that runs past the expected entry into force, include a clause that lets the parties revisit pricing if tariff terms change.
• Check the tariff line. When the agreement does take effect, benefits will apply to specific tariff lines, so you will need to confirm the one that matches your scrap.
• Keep records of origin. Preferential tariff treatment generally depends on proving where goods come from, so good origin documentation will be worth having.

The same caution about announced policy runs through our guide to Copper Tariffs and Scrap Explained, which shows how a headline can describe a measure that has not taken effect.

Finding a buyer and getting paid

Many UK exporters reach Gulf buyers through chains of brokers. Each takes a margin, and the final buyer is often invisible to you. Listing on ScrapTrade puts your material in front of verified UAE buyers directly. Buyers are KYC-verified, your listing can include a GPS-verified video of the material, and a deposit is held in escrow until the buyer confirms the material matches the listing. That structure matters on a long shipment between two countries, where each side is trusting a counterpart they may never meet.

ScrapTrade does not handle customs, export licensing, freight or the settlement of the balance on a large shipment. Those stay with the buyer and seller, and with their brokers and banks. The platform's role is the verified marketplace layer, as explained in trading scrap internationally. For comparison with other routes into the UAE, see Export Scrap Metal: Australia to UAE and Export Scrap Metal: India to UAE, and for the economics of verifying a buyer online instead of travelling, The Real Cost of Sourcing Scrap Abroad.

Frequently asked questions