Scrap metal prices per kg in Uzbekistan
| Scrap type | Price (UZS) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | so'm 122,071 / kg | ▼ -2.11% | $5.57 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | so'm 16,875 / kg | ▼ -1.28% | $0.77 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | so'm 74,733 / kg | ▼ -1.73% | $3.41 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | so'm 12,492 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | so'm 12,930 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | so'm 19,724 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | so'm 5,041 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | so'm 70,131 / kg | ▼ -2.14% | $3.20 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | so'm 58,954 / kg | ▼ -2.18% | $2.69 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | so'm 39,229 / kg | ▼ -2.19% | $1.79 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | so'm 16,875 / kg | ▼ -2.53% | $0.77 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | so'm 3,287,374 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | so'm 2,892,889 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | so'm 3,944,848 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | so'm 3,155,879 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap. Global reference is the US board in US dollars; the Uzbekistan figure applies the exchange rate (1 USD = 11,976.94 UZS) and a local market factor of 0.83.
Yards quote in Uzbek som per kilogram, and the som is a low-value currency, so figures per kilo run into the thousands. Prices here are derived from the exchange settlement, converted to som, and adjusted by a market factor of 0.83, reflecting a market where a 100 percent export duty removes the outside bidder in practice. The factor is published on the editorial policy page and is open to challenge.
Uzbekistan scrap price chart (UZS)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in UZS 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 Uzbekistan
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 UZS.
The scrap market in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan does not ban scrap exports. It charges 100 percent duty on them, which comes to much the same thing commercially, but the reasoning behind it is unlike anything else on this site.
The duty arrived through a presidential decree on export reform covering 86 goods. The maximum rate, 100 percent, was applied to ferrous and non-ferrous scrap and to cotton fibre, with the stated purpose of supporting production of finished goods from local raw materials and attracting investment into processing.
What makes it unusual is the transparency argument. The President's special representative for the WTO explained that Uzbekistan was returning to export duties, a practice abolished in 1997 and replaced over time by lists of goods whose export was prohibited or allowed only with government approval. The country lifted export restrictions in 2017, and the new decree eliminated the permit system entirely on the grounds that its criteria were insufficiently transparent.
The official position, then, is that a published 100 percent duty is a clearer instrument than a discretionary permit. Whether a seller prefers a transparent barrier to an opaque one is a fair question, but the distinction is real and worth understanding.
- Currency
- Uzbek som (UZS)
- Units
- Kilogram
- Market factor
- 0.83 (our assessment, published on the editorial policy page)
- Export duty
- 100 percent on ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, the maximum rate in the reform
- Licensing
- Required since 15 January 2026, issued by the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology
- Household non-ferrous
- Accepted only by Uzvtorcvetmet, from an approved list
- Age limit
- Scrap may not be accepted from anyone under 16
The most valuable scrap by weight in Uzbekistan today: Copper at so'm 122,071 per kg, Brass at so'm 74,733 per kg, Radiator at so'm 70,131 per kg, Wire at so'm 58,954 per kg, Cable at so'm 39,229 per kg.
How much is scrap metal worth in Uzbekistan?
Scrap metal in Uzbekistan is bought per kilogram and quoted in UZS. Typical ranges are Copper: so'm 107,420 to so'm 136,720 per kg; Brass: so'm 65,765 to so'm 83,700 per kg; Aluminium: so'm 14,850 to so'm 18,900 per kg; Zinc: so'm 17,355 to so'm 22,090 per kg; Lead: so'm 11,380 to so'm 14,480 per kg; Stainless steel: so'm 10,995 to so'm 13,990 per kg. Across common non-ferrous grades that puts most material between so'm 10,995 and so'm 136,720 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 UZS and adjusted by our published market factor of 0.83. 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: so'm 107,420 to so'm 136,720 per kg
- Brass: so'm 65,765 to so'm 83,700 per kg
- Aluminium: so'm 14,850 to so'm 18,900 per kg
- Zinc: so'm 17,355 to so'm 22,090 per kg
- Lead: so'm 11,380 to so'm 14,480 per kg
- Stainless steel: so'm 10,995 to so'm 13,990 per kg
Selling scrap metal in Uzbekistan: rules, ID and payment
Since 15 January 2026, collecting and trading scrap requires a licence. Three activities were brought into the licensing regime: procurement, processing and sale of ferrous scrap; the same for non-ferrous scrap; and wholesale and retail trade in natural gas. Licences are issued by the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology, with a fee set at 10 basic calculation units for the scrap activities.
Buying from the public is separately and tightly regulated. Under the Cabinet of Ministers decree of 6 June 2018 on the handling of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, only Uzvtorcvetmet may accept non-ferrous scrap from individuals, and a specific list defines which household non-ferrous items may be taken at all.
The same regulation prohibits buying scrap of electrical, industrial or military origin from individuals, along with components of railway rolling stock and aviation equipment. It also prohibits accepting scrap from anyone under the age of 16, which is a provision we have not seen stated in any other market covered here.
The duty itself is subject to review. The commission responsible for interaction with the World Trade Organization is required to assess the effectiveness of the export duties quarterly, so the rate is not necessarily permanent even though it has been set at the maximum.
Before you sell
- Treat export as closed in practice. A 100 percent duty is not a cost to plan around.
- If you trade scrap, confirm your licence position. Procurement, processing and sale have required a licence since 15 January 2026.
- If you are selling as an individual, non-ferrous goes to Uzvtorcvetmet and only from the approved household list.
- Do not expect a yard to take electrical, industrial, military, railway or aviation material from a private seller. That is prohibited rather than discouraged.
- Scrap cannot be bought from anyone under 16.
- Watch the quarterly WTO commission review. The rate is assessed rather than fixed indefinitely.
Scrap prices by city in Uzbekistan
City pages for Uzbekistan are being added; the country board above already reflects prices in its main hubs: Uzbekistan.
Scrap yards in Uzbekistan
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 Uzbekistan 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.
Uzbekistan scrap price FAQ
Can scrap be exported from Uzbekistan?
Legally yes, commercially almost never. A presidential decree on export reform applied the maximum rate of 100 percent to exports of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, alongside cotton fibre.
Why a duty rather than a ban?
The stated reasoning was partly about transparency. Officials said Uzbekistan was returning to export duties, abolished in 1997, and that the decree eliminated a permit system whose criteria were insufficiently transparent, making export procedures clearer.
What is the duty meant to achieve?
Supporting production of finished goods from local raw materials and attracting investment into the processing industry. That is the same industrial logic used across the region, delivered through a different instrument.
Is the rate permanent?
Not formally. The commission responsible for interaction with the World Trade Organization is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the export duties on a quarterly basis.
Do I need a licence to trade scrap?
Yes, since 15 January 2026. Procurement, processing and sale of ferrous scrap and of non-ferrous scrap are separately licensed activities, issued by the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology, with a fee of 10 basic calculation units.
Can I sell non-ferrous scrap as a private individual?
Only to Uzvtorcvetmet, and only items on the approved list of household non-ferrous scrap set by the Cabinet of Ministers decree of 6 June 2018.
What can a private seller not sell?
Scrap of electrical, industrial or military origin, and components of railway rolling stock and aviation equipment. Those purchases from individuals are prohibited rather than merely restricted.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. Scrap may not be accepted from individuals under 16 years old. It is the only explicit age provision we have found in any market covered on this site.
Why are prices per kilo such large numbers?
The som is a low-value currency, so a kilo price runs into the thousands. Compare in dollars per tonne when checking against an international reference.
How does this compare with Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan prohibits export outright and has renewed a six month ban at least ten times. Uzbekistan permits export at a 100 percent duty with a quarterly review obligation. The commercial effect is similar; the legal form and the review mechanism are not.
Sources and methodology
Prices on this page start from the global reference board (US dollars per pound or per ton), are multiplied by a Uzbekistan market factor of 0.83 that reflects local demand, freight and trade rules, and are converted to UZS at 1 USD = 11,976.94 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 decree on export reform introducing duties on 86 goods, including the 100 percent rate on scrap
- Statements by the President's special representative for the WTO on the shift from permits to duties
- Uzbek licensing provisions for scrap procurement, processing and sale, in force from 15 January 2026
- Cabinet of Ministers decree of 6 June 2018 on the handling of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
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.
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