Scrap metal prices per kg in Ghana
| Scrap type | Price (GHS) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | GH 121.39 / kg | ▲ +2.30% | $5.78 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | GH 17.01 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | GH 73.51 / kg | ▲ +1.45% | $3.50 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | GH 11.97 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | GH 12.39 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | GH 18.90 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | GH 4.83 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | GH 69.73 / kg | ▲ +2.15% | $3.32 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | GH 58.59 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $2.79 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | GH 39.06 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $1.86 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | GH 16.80 / kg | ▲ +2.56% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | GH 3,150 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | GH 2,772 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | GH 3,780 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | GH 3,024 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap. Global reference is the US board in US dollars; the Ghana figure applies the exchange rate (1 USD = 11.62 GHS) and a local market factor of 0.82.
Yards quote in Ghana cedis per kilogram. Prices here are derived from the exchange settlement, converted to cedis, and adjusted by a market factor of 0.82, one of the lowest on this site, reflecting a market where export routes are restricted and domestic mills have historically been unable to match the prices offered by overseas buyers. The factor is published on the editorial policy page and is open to challenge.
Ghana scrap price chart (GHS)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in GHS per kg or per tonne. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
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Copper scrap prices by grade in Ghana
Copper is not one price. Yards grade it by cleanliness, coating and gauge, and the spread from the top grade to the bottom runs 25 to 35 percent. These are the same grades used on export contracts, converted to GHS.
The scrap market in Ghana
One fact explains the whole Ghanaian scrap question: the country has no iron ore. Scrap is not a supplementary feedstock for the steel industry here, it is the raw material. Without it the mills would have to import, and that is the argument every Ghanaian government has made when restricting exports.
In February the President announced a ban on scrap exports at the commissioning of a steel plant expansion at Lakpleku, projecting 250 to 300 million dollars a year in additional processed metal exports, a reduction in steel imports of 20 to 30 percent, and 5,000 to 10,000 new jobs. He framed it as industrial sovereignty and as moving up the value chain: exporting finished and semi-finished products rather than raw scrap.
Worth noting for anyone reading the coverage: reports of that announcement differ on whether the ban covers ferrous scrap or non-ferrous. Headlines and body text conflicted in the same articles. Establish which category your material falls into before you rely on any summary, including this one.
- Currency
- Ghana cedi (GHS)
- Units
- Kilogram
- Market factor
- 0.82 (our assessment, published on the editorial policy page)
- Structural fact
- Ghana has no iron ore, so scrap is the steel industry's raw material
- Policy history
- Export restriction announced 2013, criminalisation later proposed, new ban announced February 2026
- Stated targets
- 250 to 300 million dollars a year in processed metal exports, 5,000 to 10,000 jobs
The most valuable scrap by weight in Ghana today: Copper at GH 121.39 per kg, Brass at GH 73.51 per kg, Radiator at GH 69.73 per kg, Wire at GH 58.59 per kg, Cable at GH 39.06 per kg.
What you can expect to be paid in Ghana
Scrap is weighed and paid by the kilogram in Ghana, in GHS. Typical ranges are Copper: GH 105 to GH 135 per kg; Brass: GH 65 to GH 82 per kg; Aluminium: GH 15 to GH 19 per kg; Zinc: GH 17 to GH 21 per kg; Lead: GH 11 to GH 14 per kg; Stainless steel: GH 11 to GH 13 per kg. Across common non-ferrous grades that puts most material between GH 11 and GH 135 per kg, with copper at the top of the range and stainless steel near the bottom.
These are ranges rather than quotes. The band reflects day-to-day movement in the metal market and the spread between one yard and another, which our own research has found can reach 40 percent or more for the same metal in the same city. The midpoint is derived from the international exchange settlement converted to GHS and adjusted by our published market factor of 0.82. Expect a local buyer to sit toward the lower end, because they carry collection, sorting, processing and their own margin. Always confirm the rate per kilo for your specific grade before anything is weighed.
- Copper: GH 105 to GH 135 per kg
- Brass: GH 65 to GH 82 per kg
- Aluminium: GH 15 to GH 19 per kg
- Zinc: GH 17 to GH 21 per kg
- Lead: GH 11 to GH 14 per kg
- Stainless steel: GH 11 to GH 13 per kg
Selling scrap metal in Ghana: rules, ID and payment
The important context is that this is not the first ban. In February 2013 the then Trade and Industry Minister announced plans to prohibit scrap metal exports to support local steel manufacturers. The restriction did not achieve what it was meant to.
A later proposal by the same minister would have made scrap metal export a criminal offence, explicitly because ferrous scrap exporters were ignoring the administrative ban already in place and material was still leaving the country. That is unusually direct evidence that a rule existed and was not working.
The pressure behind it was real. Ghanaian steel facilities were reported operating at around 30 percent of capacity for want of raw material, and one large steel company, Wahome, shut down with the loss of around 700 jobs. A union official put the problem plainly: buyers in China, Thailand and Malaysia offer prices that local industry cannot afford to match.
The Ghana Scrap Dealers Association has argued for the other side of it, asking that the ban be lifted on products domestic mills rarely use, naming steel balls, ductile steel and manganese. That is a reasonable point: a ban designed to feed mills should not trap material the mills do not want.
Before you sell
- Establish which category your metal is in before anything else. Coverage of the current ban conflicts on ferrous versus non-ferrous.
- Verify the rule with the Ministry of Trade and Industry rather than from news summaries. This policy has changed direction more than once.
- If you sell domestically, expect mill prices to sit well below international offers. That gap is the reason the policy exists.
- For material domestic mills do not use, check whether an exemption applies before assuming it is trapped.
- Keep documentation of origin. A market with a contested export ban is a market where provenance questions get asked.
Scrap prices by city in Ghana
City pages for Ghana are being added; the country board above already reflects prices in its main hubs: Ghana.
Scrap yards in Ghana
Find a yard by region or city, or use your location to see the nearest. Every listing shows where its details came from and when they were checked.
Yard listings for Ghana are being added from official dealer registers and trade directories. Nothing is published until it has been verified against a named source, which is why this section is not yet populated.
Ghana scrap price FAQ
Why does Ghana restrict scrap exports?
Because the country has no iron ore. Scrap is the raw material for the steel industry rather than a supplement to it, so exported scrap is raw material the mills then have to import instead.
Does the ban cover ferrous or non-ferrous scrap?
Reports of the February announcement conflict, with headlines and body text differing within the same articles. Establish which category your material falls into with the Ministry of Trade and Industry rather than relying on any news summary.
What is the ban expected to achieve?
The President projected 250 to 300 million dollars a year in additional processed metal exports, a 20 to 30 percent reduction in steel imports, 5,000 to 10,000 new jobs, and higher tax revenue.
Is this a new policy?
No. A scrap export prohibition was announced in February 2013 to support local steel manufacturers, and a later proposal would have made the export a criminal offence precisely because exporters were ignoring the administrative ban.
Did the earlier ban work?
Not on the evidence available. Material continued to leave the country while local mills were reported running at around 30 percent of capacity, and one large steel company shut down with the loss of around 700 jobs.
Why can Ghanaian mills not simply pay more?
A union official put it directly: buyers in China, Thailand and Malaysia offer prices local industry cannot afford to match. The restriction exists to remove that competition rather than to beat it.
What do Ghanaian scrap dealers say?
The Ghana Scrap Dealers Association has asked for the ban to be lifted on products domestic mills rarely use, naming steel balls, ductile steel and manganese, on the reasoning that a rule meant to feed mills should not trap material the mills do not want.
What does this mean for the price I am offered?
Expect domestic offers well below international levels. That gap is the intended effect of the policy rather than a weakness in your negotiating position.
Where does Ghanaian scrap come from?
Construction, demolition, imported vehicles and industrial activity, according to the President's own account of why the volumes are substantial.
Is Ghanaian steel sold regionally?
That is the stated ambition. Government remarks pointed at ECOWAS construction markets, Sahelian infrastructure projects, West African mining operations and regional cement and mineral processing as destinations for Ghanaian-made steel rather than Asian or European imports.
Sources and methodology
Prices on this page start from the global reference board (US dollars per pound or per ton), are multiplied by a Ghana market factor of 0.82 that reflects local demand, freight and trade rules, and are converted to GHS at 1 USD = 11.62 and to metric units (kilograms and tonnes). The board refreshes daily, with the time of the latest update shown at the top of the page.
Reference sources
- Presidential remarks at the commissioning of the Lakpleku steel plant expansion, February 2026
- Global Trade Alert record of the 2013 scrap metal export ban announcement
- Industrial union reporting on the proposed criminalisation of scrap exports and domestic mill capacity utilisation
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Actual yard prices depend on grade, quantity, location and the buyer. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it against our sources.