Following the European Steel Association (EUROFER), European Aluminium and the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC), the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has entered into the dispute regarding European scrap export restriction, stating that such protectionist measures on scrap exports would pose risks to both European and global sustainability efforts.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, EUROFER and European Aluminium have called upon the European Commission to take immediate measures to tackle scrap leakage in the region, while EuRIC has warned against imposing any restrictions on scrap exports, claiming that scrap exports have been keeping recycling businesses alive.
Emphasizing that these materials are not mere scrap but valuable recycled steel and aluminum that play a crucial role in global decarbonization efforts, BIR noted that the proposed export restrictions would create an unprecedented shock to the global recycling industry. Stating that there is no shortage of material for European consumers of recycled steel and aluminum, BIR said that efforts to introduce export limits are aimed at artificially lowering the prices of the valuable materials domestically.
Noting that the European Commission could employ alternative measures to boost recycled material demand to strengthen Europe’s circular economy, BIR stated that the implementation of recycled content requirements across key sectors would establish reliable demand for recycled material in the EU market.