The local scrap market in Italy has remained quiet for several weeks now. Changes on both the demand and supply sides are minimal, which leads to a substantial stagnation in prices that is likely to continue until after the Easter holidays (April 4-6, 2026).
Traders complain about the scrap shortage that has now become structural, but demand levels from mills do not make this an issue in terms of volume availability. The sources interviewed by SteelOrbis continue to report an overall lack of scrap sales except for spot needs, and at substantially unchanged prices in the past month.
Another factor that continues to weigh heavily on the market is the cost of transport, both domestically and to and from foreign markets. For the Italy-Germany routes, a so-called "diesel extra" has been applied, which is activated when diesel fuel prices exceed €2 per litre. In this case, we can see transport prices increase by up to €2-2.5/mt.
"We can also see it in the routes from northern to southern Italy and vice-versa. Routes that until recently cost €45-50 have now increased to €60," a source at an Italian scrap trader said.
On the producer’s side, there is still a low will to buy, with scrap warehouses that continue to be well-stocked and a widespread wait-and-see attitude, already projected towards the post-Easter period.
As a result, scrap prices in the Italian scrap market have remained unchanged overall as shown in the following table:
| Quality | Average spot price (€/mt) | Average spot price (€/mt) | Average spot price (€/mt) |
| Period | March 26 | March 19 | February 26 |
| Turnings (E5) | 285-300 | 285-300 | 285-300 |
| HMS (E1/E3) | 280-315 | 280-320 | 280-320 |
| Shredded (E40) | 320-345 | 320-345 | 320-345 |
| Busheling (E8) | 330-340 | 330-340 | 330-340 |
Prices include delivery and exclude VAT.
