Selling scrap metal for the first time can feel more complicated than it needs to be. Unfamiliar terms, prices that seem to shift for no obvious reason, and no clear sense of whether an offer is fair. These guides answer the basics in plain language, no industry background required.
What actually happens to your scrap after you sell it: collection, sorting, processing, and being melted back into new metal.
Read the guideThe single biggest factor in what your scrap is worth. A simple magnet test and a plain-English breakdown of both categories.
Read the guideWhy two loads of the 'same' metal can be priced completely differently, and what you can do before you sell to grade up.
Read the guidePlain-English definitions for the trade terms you'll see on ScrapTrade and at any scrap yard: HMS, UBC, bare bright, and more.
Read the guideThe five factors that actually set your price, from material grade to location, plus a real answer for scrap cars specifically.
Read the guideWhat's driving the rise in catalytic converter and copper wire theft, what regulators are doing, and what verified trading changes.
Read the guideA practical walkthrough of one of the world's most active scrap trade corridors: registration, documentation, and finding a buyer.
Read the guideCustoms codes, documentation, the UAE's VAT reverse charge, and why Emirates Steel's growth is pulling scrap away from Turkey.
Read the guideExport licensing, customs declarations, and how the new Australia-UAE trade agreement affects the numbers.
Read the guideWhat's required on both ends, and where the UK-GCC trade deal actually stands right now.
Read the guideWhere exported scrap actually goes, why China, Turkey, India, and Malaysia dominate the rankings, and where the UAE fits in.
Read the guideUS copper tariffs hit finished products, not scrap. What's actually in force, what's proposed, and what's just scheduled for later.
Read the guideGovernments are spending billions to recover minerals from old electronics and batteries instead of mining new ore, with real budget figures.
Read the guideEV battery scrap is set to grow from 1.4 million tonnes in 2026 to 5-7 million a year by 2030. How the recovery process actually works.
Read the guideRecycled steel cuts CO2 by 58%, aluminium by 92%, copper by 65% versus virgin ore. The real numbers, metal by metal.
Read the guideIndia's scrap deficit is projected to triple by 2030. What Canadian exporters need to know, including a permit most sellers don't expect.
Read the guideMalaysia is the world's third-largest scrap destination. What Australian exporters need to know about its import permit system.
Read the guideScrapTrade supports three ways to trade. A practical, research-backed guide to which one fits your situation.
Read the guideA practical walkthrough: what to check before you commit, and when to bid, negotiate, or buy now.
Read the guideWhat you gain and give up by sourcing online instead of driving between yards, with real numbers.
Read the guideInternational business trips average $2,600 or more. What sourcing scrap in person actually costs, and how to skip it.
Read the guideMetal, plastic, paper, and electronics all have a second life. How trading online extends the product life cycle.
Read the guideGetting one quote and taking it is the default for most buyers. Research suggests that's leaving real savings on the table.
Read the guideA one-off sale generally isn't taxable income. Regular selling for profit is a different story, here's where the line sits.
Read the guideEngine blocks, radiators, and machinery castings. What sets cast iron apart from other ferrous grades.
Read the guideBare bright copper wire pays far more than the same weight in insulated cable. Here's why.
Read the guideMost scrap metal information online is written for people already in the industry, full of jargon, assumed knowledge, and numbers with no context. That's fine if you're a dealer, but not much help if you're a homeowner clearing out a garage, a tradesperson with offcuts from a job, or a small business trying to figure out if you're getting a fair price.
These guides exist to close that gap: no assumed background, real explanations instead of just definitions, and a direct line to ScrapTrade's price calculator and marketplace so once you understand what you have, you know what to do with it.
