New York scrap prices follow the national board, with dense demolition and renovation supply meeting export demand through the New Jersey docks. Copper and brass from the trades are the city's strength; logistics are the cost. Bring photo ID, and expect full records at every licensed yard.
Scrap metal prices per lb in New York
| Scrap type | Price (USD) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per lb) | |||
| Copper Scrap | $5.81 / lb | ▲ +1.22% | $5.81 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | $0.87 / lb | ▲ +1.16% | $0.87 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | $3.54 / lb | ▲ +1.14% | $3.54 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | $0.57 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | $0.59 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | $0.90 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | $0.23 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | $3.34 / lb | ▲ +1.21% | $3.34 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | $2.81 / lb | ▲ +1.44% | $2.81 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | $1.87 / lb | ▲ +1.08% | $1.87 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | $0.80 / lb | ▲ +1.27% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per ton) | |||
| Steel Scrap | $300 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | $264 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | $360 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | $288 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in the United States, shown here for New York. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 1.00 USD) is described in the methodology section below.
New York scrap price chart (USD)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in USD, the same series New York yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
Price history could not be loaded.
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The scrap market in New York
New York generates scrap the way only a construction city can: renovation copper, brass fixtures, cable, radiators and demolition steel in constant flow. Most of it clears through yards in the outer boroughs and moves to processors and export docks on the New Jersey side of the harbor.
Prices sit near the national indicative board, but logistics decide real returns here. Small loads lose margin to time and tolls, so tradespeople batch material, and the busiest yards are the ones a van can actually reach and park at.
- State
- New York, United States
- Quoted in
- USD per lb (non-ferrous), per ton (ferrous)
- Yards cluster in
- East Williamsburg, Maspeth, Hunts Point, Long Island City
- Demand from
- Harbor export docks, regional shredders
Where the scrap yards are in New York
- Brooklyn (East Williamsburg, Gowanus, Canarsie): the deepest borough market for trade scrap.
- Queens (Long Island City, Maspeth, Jamaica): high-turnover yards for contractors.
- The Bronx (Hunts Point, Port Morris): heavy and auto scrap.
- Staten Island and the New Jersey side: processors and export-facing buyers for volume.
What pays well in New York
- Renovation copper pipe cut to number 1, and brass plumbing fixtures.
- Electrical wire and cable from the trades, sorted by recovery.
- Radiators, motors and mixed non-ferrous batched to tier weights.
Selling scrap metal in New York: rules, ID and payment
New York requires licensed dealers to record seller ID and material details, and restricts purchases of utility and infrastructure metal without proof of origin. Air conditioners need refrigerant recovery tags, and vehicles need titles. Payment is commonly check for larger or regulated items.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
New York scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in New York today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about $5.81 per lb in USD. New York yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
Where can I sell scrap metal in New York City?
Brooklyn and Queens carry the most yards for trade-sized loads, with East Williamsburg, Maspeth and Long Island City the usual first calls; the Bronx handles heavy and auto scrap around Hunts Point. For truckload volume, the New Jersey processors across the harbor usually post the strongest numbers.
Is it worth driving small loads to a yard in NYC?
Usually not below a hundred pounds of mixed metal; time, fuel and tolls eat the value. Batch renovation scrap until copper and brass reach a tier weight, and keep grades separated so the trip pays at the top of each band.
Are New York prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the the United States indicative level, and New York yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The New York board uses the the United States indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 1.00 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in New York vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in the United States · All countries · Catalytic converter prices