Monterrey is Mexico's steel capital and the deepest buyer market in the country. Ternium's Pesqueria complex nearby is adding a 2.6 million tonne electric arc furnace, and Frisa commissioned a 400,000 tonne special bar quality mill in the city. For a seller with real tonnage, this is the shortest distance to a furnace in Mexico.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Monterrey
| Scrap type | Price (MXN) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | MX$218 / kg | ▲ +2.12% | $5.77 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | MX$31 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | MX$133 / kg | ▲ +2.03% | $3.52 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | MX$21 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | MX$22 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | MX$34 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | MX$9 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | MX$125 / kg | ▲ +2.15% | $3.32 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | MX$105 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $2.79 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | MX$70 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $1.86 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | MX$30 / kg | ▲ +2.56% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | MX$5,656 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | MX$4,977 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | MX$6,787 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | MX$5,429 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in Mexico, shown here for Monterrey. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 18.19 MXN) is described in the methodology section below.
Monterrey scrap price chart (MXN)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in MXN, the same series Monterrey yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
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The scrap market in Monterrey
Nuevo Leon is where Mexican steelmaking concentrates, and Monterrey is its centre. Ternium's Pesqueria industrial complex, north-east of the city, took its hot rolling mill into operation in mid-2021 and its board approved a 2.6 million tonne per year electric arc furnace slab facility, with a 300-tonne Consteel EAF and an accompanying direct reduced iron module, expected to reach production in 2026. Frisa was due to commission a special bar quality mill in Monterrey with an annual capacity of 400,000 tonnes, aimed largely at the United States aerospace market.
That concentration is what makes Monterrey different from every other Mexican city on this site. A chatarrera here is not the last stop before a long haul; it is one step from a furnace. Competition among buyers is correspondingly sharper, and the spread between an industrial seller who negotiates and one who does not is wider here than in markets where everyone faces the same freight problem. Nationally, Canacero reported that Mexican mills took 38 percent of their feedstock from ferrous scrap in 2020, against a global average of 23 percent, and Monterrey is where most of that appetite sits.
- State
- Nuevo Leon
- Currency
- Mexican peso (MXN), quoted per kilogram
- Nearby capacity
- Ternium Pesqueria complex, EAF slab facility of 2.6 million tonnes a year expected in production 2026
- Also here
- Frisa special bar quality mill, 400,000 tonnes a year
Where the scrap yards are in Monterrey
- Pesqueria, north-east of the city, where Ternium's industrial complex and its new EAF capacity are located.
- The Santa Catarina and Apodaca industrial corridors, dense with fabrication and metalworking.
- Chatarreras across the metropolitan area buying from households, workshops and demolition.
What pays well in Monterrey
- Heavy ferrous and demolition steel, which has furnace capacity within reach rather than a haul ahead of it.
- Industrial offcut from the fabrication corridors, clean and consistent enough to command a premium.
- Separated copper and brass, which move well regardless of the steel picture.
Selling scrap metal in Monterrey: rules, ID and payment
The national rules apply: no dealer licence, but a CFDI for the transaction and a Carta Porte complement for any load moving by road. In a market with this much industrial volume the paperwork matters more, not less; a buyer taking tonnage without invoicing it is a compliance risk to both sides.
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.
Monterrey scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Monterrey today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about MX$218 per kg in MXN. Monterrey 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.
Why is Monterrey the best place in Mexico to sell heavy scrap?
Because the furnaces are here. Ternium's Pesqueria complex is adding a 2.6 million tonne electric arc furnace facility expected in production in 2026, and Frisa commissioned a 400,000 tonne special bar quality mill in the city. Freight to a consumer is shorter than anywhere else in the country.
Does that mean a chatarrera pays mill prices?
No. A yard still buys by weight, consolidates and takes a margin. What proximity changes is the competition between buyers above yard level, which shows on industrial and demolition tonnage far more than on a household load.
How much scrap does Mexican steelmaking actually use?
Canacero reported that Mexican mills drew 38 percent of their feedstock from ferrous scrap in 2020, against a global average of 23 percent. Monterrey and the surrounding state are where most of that demand is concentrated.
Are Monterrey prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Mexico indicative level, and Monterrey 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 Monterrey board uses the Mexico 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 0.94 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 Monterrey vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Mexico · All countries · Catalytic converter prices