At the end of May, ex-warehouse scrap prices in the German domestic market have been confirmed at higher levels, by around €8/mt compared to April, with some scrap grades recording stronger increases than others.
According to market participants, May has been a relatively positive month in terms of scrap sales in Germany. However, scrap availability remains limited, while deliveries continue to be affected by logistical constraints.
Early indications point to relative stability for the upcoming month, although upward pressure is already emerging as one major steel mill is set to resume production after May stoppages, while another is already seeking additional volumes by offering higher purchase prices.
However, it is still too early to provide accurate forecasts, and SteelOrbis will continue to monitor the situation closely while awaiting further developments. In the meantime, one market participant commenting on Derichebourg’s acquisition of Scholz Group stated: “The Scholz-Derichebourg situation will definitely be interesting to watch. […] It is also likely that sales structures will shift, since Derichebourg mainly works with large steel producers. […] That said, it will probably take some time before anything concrete happens.”
Going back to prices, BDSV has reported increases across all scrap grades, with the most significant rise recorded for new scrap E2/E8 (€11.7/mt), likely due to its limited availability on the market. The lowest increase has been observed for E5M scrap (€4.9/mt) month on month.
According to BDSV, the increases observed in the first 20 days of May are in the range of €4.9-11.7/mt. On a year-on-year basis, scrap prices increased by between €13.4/mt and €28.2/mt.
The prices are provided by Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Stahlrecycling-und Entsorgungsunternehmen e.V. and are average prices for domestic transactions across Germany in the first 20 days of the given month.
| Scrap grade | Price: May 2026 (€/mt) | Price: April 2026 (€/mt) | Price: May 2025 (€/mt) | M-o-m change (€/mt) | Y-o-y change (€/mt) |
| E1 - Old steel scrap | 273.9 | 267.0 | 245.7 | +6.9 | +28.2 |
| E2/E8 - New steel scrap | 319.0 | 307.3 | 298.8 | +11.7 | +20.2 |
| E3 - Heavy old steel scrap | 305.2 | 297.6 | 291.8 | +7.6 | +13.4 |
| E40 - Shredded scrap | 316.2 | 306.5 | 293.0 | +9.7 | +23.2 |
| E5M - Steel turnings | 269.0 | 264.1 | 250.2 | +4.9 | +18.8 |
Specifications:
E1 - Old steel scrap: thickness ≥ 4 mm, maximum dimensions 1.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m
E2/E8 - New steel scrap: maximum dimensions 1.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m
E3 - Heavy old steel scrap: thickness ≥ 6 mm, maximum dimensions 1.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m
E40 - Shredded scrap: excluding incinerator steel scrap and collection scrap; density ≥ 1,1 mt/m3, Fe ≥ 92%
E5M - Turnings: excluding iron and automatic steel turnings
