New decreases in scrap purchase prices have emerged in the German market this week, with some producers lowering their levels by up to €30/mt month on month.
In particular, producers that rely heavily on scrap deliveries by river are facing several supply issues due to the extremely low water levels on the Rhine, and, in addition to reducing scrap inflows, they have been forced to partly cut production. As reported by SteelOrbis, even ThyssenKrupp told Reuters that the further dropping of water levels on the Rhine is affecting the supply of raw materials to its Duisburg steelworks.
According to the company, it has slightly reduced blast furnace production due to the restricted inflow of raw materials. It has also suspended its own barge operations and is instead chartering vessels with a shallower draught to continue deliveries.
“The water level on the Rhine is a big, big problem,” a Germany-based scrap supplier stated. “Most large vessels cannot come down, and freight rates have risen up to almost €50-60/mt. I think the will close the water way within the next days,” he concluded.
However, river logistics are not the only issue. According to a German scrap seller exporting to Italy, both railways and truck transport have also become very complicated.
The source stated that, due to rising costs, vehicle shortages and a lack of personnel, a loaded truck route can now cost up to €65/mt for scrap. “For a loaded truck, this means more than €1,300 in transport costs alone,” he explained. For reference, in October 2025 truck transport between Germany and Italy was standing at around €50-55/mt.
Meanwhile, the export market has also slowed down. According to one source, collection prices at the ARAG (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent) ports have decreased to as low as €260/mt DAP for HMS I/II 80:20 scrap, signaling limited buying interest from exporters.
