Scrap metal prices per kg in Argentina
| Scrap type | Price (ARS) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | $18,050 / kg | ▲ +2.30% | $5.78 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | $2,529 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | $10,930 / kg | ▲ +1.45% | $3.50 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | $1,780 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | $1,842 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | $2,811 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | $718 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | $10,368 / kg | ▲ +2.15% | $3.32 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | $8,713 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $2.79 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | $5,808 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $1.86 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | $2,498 / kg | ▲ +2.56% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | $468,417 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | $412,207 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | $562,100 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | $449,680 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap. Global reference is the US board in US dollars; the Argentina figure applies the exchange rate (1 USD = 1,523.09 ARS) and a local market factor of 0.93.
Yards quote in Argentine pesos per kilogram, and the peso moves, so figures date quickly. Prices here are derived from the exchange settlement, converted to pesos, and adjusted by a market factor of 0.93, our assessment of a market that has just reopened to export competition after sixteen years without it. The factor is published on the editorial policy page and is open to challenge.
Argentina scrap price chart (ARS)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in ARS 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 Argentina
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 ARS.
The scrap market in Argentina
Nearly every country covered on this site is tightening scrap exports. Oman bans all waste, Kuwait bans copper, Ghana has announced restrictions repeatedly since 2013, Russia runs a quota, Morocco requires a licence and the Gulf states have each moved the same way. Argentina went the other direction.
The government chose not to renew decrees 1040/20 and 70/23, which had prohibited the export of ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste. Scrap can be sold abroad again for the first time since 2009, ending a restriction that had run for sixteen years.
What makes this worth reading rather than simply noting is the reasoning the minister gave, because it is the clearest official statement anywhere of the mechanism this site describes on every restricted market. The prohibition, he said, was harmful because by depressing the local price of waste it discouraged recycling, and because it blocked countless recycling businesses across broad sectors of the economy. He gave a specific example: copper cable discarded by telephone companies, which had an active recycling market abroad and could not be exported.
He also named who gained and who lost. The rule benefited the processors of scrap, he said, while harming those who produced it, typically smaller recycling companies.
- Currency
- Argentine peso (ARS)
- Units
- Kilogram, and by the tonne for volume
- Market factor
- 0.93 (our assessment, published on the editorial policy page)
- What changed
- Decrees 1040/20 and 70/23 were not renewed, reopening scrap exports
- Ban duration
- Exports had been prohibited since 2009, sixteen years
- Expected export price
- 250 to 300 dollars a tonne at the time of the change
- Likely buyers
- China and Turkey
The most valuable scrap by weight in Argentina today: Copper at $18,050 per kg, Brass at $10,930 per kg, Radiator at $10,368 per kg, Wire at $8,713 per kg, Cable at $5,808 per kg.
What scrap metal pays per kg in Argentina
Buyers in Argentina work in ARS and price by the kilogram. Typical ranges are Copper: $ 15,885 to $ 20,215 per kg; Brass: $ 9,620 to $ 12,240 per kg; Aluminium: $ 2,225 to $ 2,830 per kg; Zinc: $ 2,475 to $ 3,150 per kg; Lead: $ 1,620 to $ 2,065 per kg; Stainless steel: $ 1,565 to $ 1,995 per kg. Across common non-ferrous grades that puts most material between $ 1,565 and $ 20,215 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 ARS and adjusted by our published market factor of 0.93. 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: $ 15,885 to $ 20,215 per kg
- Brass: $ 9,620 to $ 12,240 per kg
- Aluminium: $ 2,225 to $ 2,830 per kg
- Zinc: $ 2,475 to $ 3,150 per kg
- Lead: $ 1,620 to $ 2,065 per kg
- Stainless steel: $ 1,565 to $ 1,995 per kg
Selling scrap metal in Argentina: rules, ID and payment
Argentine scrap export prices were estimated at the time of the change at 250 to 300 dollars a tonne, with China and Turkey named as the likely principal buyers.
The change was not welcomed universally. The major steelmakers, Techint and Acindar, opposed it, and it raised concerns among roughly 300 metallurgical small and medium enterprises employing around 6,000 people. Their position is straightforward: they buy the scrap the export market will now compete for.
Local coverage drew a comparison worth understanding before you sell. The export trade is expected to work the way meat exports under the Hilton quota do: the best material goes abroad and the lower grades stay behind, which matters because smaller furnaces cannot process what the better yards reject.
The Argentine steel industry's cost position is part of why this is contested. Iron is imported from Brazil and coal from Australia, and while electricity is competitive by regional standards, tariffs rose more than 30 percent above inflation in the year before the change.
Before you sell
- If you are exporting, confirm the current position rather than relying on the 2025 change. Argentine trade policy has reversed before.
- Sort properly. With an export market now bidding, the gap between good and poor grades widens rather than narrows.
- For domestic sales, expect local mills and SMEs to be competing against Chinese and Turkish buyers for the first time since 2009.
- Price in pesos dates quickly. Check the figure and the date together.
- Copper cable is the specific case the minister named as previously blocked. If that is what you hold, the change matters most to you.
Scrap prices by city in Argentina
City pages for Argentina are being added; the country board above already reflects prices in its main hubs: Argentina.
Scrap yards in Argentina
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 Argentina 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.
Argentina scrap price FAQ
Can scrap be exported from Argentina?
Yes, since the government chose not to renew decrees 1040/20 and 70/23, which had prohibited the export of ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste. It is the first time scrap could be sold abroad since 2009.
Why was the ban removed?
The Minister of Deregulation argued it was harmful because depressing the local price of waste discouraged recycling, and because it blocked recycling businesses across broad sectors. He cited copper cable discarded by telephone companies, which had an active market abroad but could not be exported.
Who was the ban helping?
The minister said plainly that it benefited the processors of scrap while harming those who produced it, typically smaller recycling companies. That is an unusually direct official statement of who gains from an export restriction.
What does this do to prices?
It puts an international floor under Argentine scrap for the first time in sixteen years. Export prices were estimated at 250 to 300 dollars a tonne at the time of the change.
Who opposed it?
The major steelmakers Techint and Acindar, and around 300 metallurgical small and medium enterprises employing roughly 6,000 people. They buy the scrap that export buyers will now compete for.
What is the Hilton quota comparison?
Local coverage compared it to meat exports: the best material goes abroad and the lower grades stay behind. That matters because smaller Argentine furnaces cannot process what better-equipped buyers reject.
Who will buy Argentine scrap?
China and Turkey were named as the principal expected buyers, which is consistent with where Russian and other export-restricted material also goes when it is released.
Is the change permanent?
No rule is. The restriction itself ran from 2009 and was extended by successive decrees, so confirm the position in force before contracting rather than assuming continuity.
What should a seller do differently now?
Sort more carefully. When an export market is bidding, the premium for clean, well-graded material widens, because that is the material the export buyer wants and the domestic buyer must now match.
Why are Argentine prices quoted in such large numbers?
The peso has depreciated substantially, so per-kilo figures look large beside other currencies. Compare in dollars per tonne when checking against an international reference, and always note the date on any peso figure.
Sources and methodology
Prices on this page start from the global reference board (US dollars per pound or per ton), are multiplied by a Argentina market factor of 0.93 that reflects local demand, freight and trade rules, and are converted to ARS at 1 USD = 1,523.09 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
- Statements by the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation on the non-renewal of decrees 1040/20 and 70/23
- Argentine press coverage of the reopening of scrap exports and the reaction from steelmakers and metallurgical SMEs
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.