Mexico City produces more scrap than anywhere else in the country and melts none of it. Construction, demolition, appliances and a vast informal fierro viejo trade feed the chain, and the material moves out to mills in the Bajio and the north. That journey, plus several layers of intermediaries, is what sits between a seller here and the board price.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Mexico City
| 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 Mexico City. 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.
Mexico City scrap price chart (MXN)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in MXN, the same series Mexico City 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 Mexico City
The volume of scrap generated in the Valley of Mexico is unmatched nationally, and its character is urban: construction and demolition steel from constant redevelopment, appliances, cable and fittings from renovation, and vehicle material. Below the chatarreras runs an informal layer, the fierro viejo collectors working with handcarts and pickups, buying door to door and consolidating upward. It is a deep chain with several margins in it, which is the main reason a household seller here sees a number well below the reference.
There is no steel mill in the city. Ferrous consolidated in the metropolitan area moves toward capacity in the Bajio and the north, and that haul is inside every quote. It also makes the transport paperwork more than a formality: a load leaving the city by road needs a Carta Porte complement naming the vehicle, route and driver, and in a market this size that requirement is enforced against a great deal of traffic.
- Entity
- Ciudad de Mexico
- Currency
- Mexican peso (MXN), quoted per kilogram
- Local furnace
- None; ferrous moves toward the Bajio and northern mills
- Local terms
- Chatarra, chatarrera for the yard, fierro viejo for the informal trade
Where the scrap yards are in Mexico City
- Iztapalapa and the eastern boroughs, where the density of chatarreras and collectors is highest.
- Vallejo and the northern industrial zone, historically the city's metalworking district.
- Estado de Mexico municipalities on the metropolitan fringe, where consolidators aggregate for the haul out.
What pays well in Mexico City
- Separated copper and cable from renovation, which holds value through every layer of the chain.
- Consolidated demolition ferrous, where the volume justifies going above collector level.
- Appliance and vehicle non-ferrous, a steady urban supply.
Selling scrap metal in Mexico City: rules, ID and payment
No dealer licence exists, so the practical test is whether the buyer issues a CFDI. For anything leaving the city by road the Carta Porte complement is required and the driver carries the consequence of not having it. Selling to a fierro viejo collector is normal for small household lots; for anything of value, deal a level up.
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.
Mexico City scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Mexico City today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about MX$218 per kg in MXN. Mexico City 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 does scrap collected in Mexico City go?
Out of the city. There is no steel mill in the metropolitan area, so consolidated ferrous moves toward mills in the Bajio and the north, and that haul is inside the local price.
What is fierro viejo?
The everyday term for old iron, and by extension for the informal collectors who buy it door to door with handcarts and pickups. They are the first layer of the chain and sell upward to chatarreras.
Why is the price here lower than the board shows?
Two reasons stacked. The chain has several layers between a household and a mill, each taking a margin, and the material still has to travel out of the valley to be melted. The board is a reference for the metal, not a quote from a collector.
Do I need paperwork to move scrap out of Mexico City?
For a road movement, yes. The Carta Porte complement to the CFDI must name the vehicle, route, driver and cargo, and transport without it can be treated as illegal. In a city this size that is enforced against a lot of traffic.
Are Mexico City prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Mexico indicative level, and Mexico City 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 Mexico City 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 Mexico City vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Mexico · All countries · Catalytic converter prices