Copper scrap in Netherlands is worth €3.30 to €11.81 per kg today, depending on grade. Bare Bright Copper sits at the top of the board and communication wire at the bottom, a spread of about 3.6 times. Prices are quoted in EUR per kg and move daily with the exchange settlement.
Copper Scrap Prices in Netherlands Today
Every copper grade priced in EUR per , updated daily from exchange settlements and this market's own level.
Copper prices by grade in Netherlands
Yards grade copper by cleanliness, coating and gauge. The spread from the top grade to the bottom runs 25 to 35 percent, so identifying what you hold matters more than the day you sell.
Grades
Insulated wire
By form
Converted from the exchange settlement at this market's rate and level. Indicative reference prices, not offers. Aluminium, brass and steel prices in Netherlands.
How copper is quoted in Netherlands
Dutch dealers quote non-ferrous scrap in euros per kilogram and ferrous scrap per tonne, with copper commonly quoted as a percentage of the LME cash price.
Against the global reference: Dutch prices are the European port benchmark and sit close to the US reference after conversion.
Grade names travel less well than the metal does. Whatever a local merchant calls it, the specification behind each grade is the same one used on export contracts, which is why the ReMA code appears on every card above.
Copper prices in Netherlands cities
The board above is the national indicative level. City yards trade around it rather than exactly on it, because local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and export demand all move the spread. Two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Amsterdam North Holland
Amsterdam generates renovation and commercial scrap rather than heavy industrial material, and sits close enough to Rotterdam that export pricing sets the floor for most grades.
Copper that moves here: Building wire and plumbing copper from renovation.
Rotterdam South Holland
Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and a major scrap export hub. Proximity to deep-water export makes it one of the better places in Europe to move volume, particularly mixed and lower grades.
Copper that moves here: Mixed non-ferrous and irony copper in container volumes; Insulated wire for granulation and export.
Selling copper in Netherlands: identification and payment
Cash payment for scrap metal is prohibited in the Netherlands; dealers pay by bank transfer and must record the seller's identity. Dealers are registered and larger movements are documented under waste transport rules.
Copper attracts more scrutiny than any other scrap metal because it is the most stolen. A yard that asks for identification is following the law; one that does not is the greater risk to you, since a load with no paper trail is the load a buyer can dispute later.
The copper market in Netherlands
The Netherlands is a trading nation for scrap as much as a producer of it: Rotterdam and Amsterdam handle large flows of ferrous and non-ferrous material moving between Germany, Belgium, the UK and overseas mills. Dutch prices are therefore close to the European benchmark and react quickly to export demand and to the euro.
Domestic consumption is limited to a few foundries and the steelworks at IJmuiden, so dealers price to what the port can ship.
Copper sits differently in that picture from the ferrous grades. It is worth enough per kilogram to travel, so a merchant a long way from a refinery can still pay close to the reference by shipping to one. That is why the spread between the best and worst copper quote in a country is usually narrower than the spread on steel, where freight eats the margin.
Which copper grade do you have?
Grade decides more of your payment than timing does. Four checks settle almost every load.
- Is it coated? Scratch a strand with a file. Copper shows reddish; a silver surface means tinned copper, which cannot reach the top grade whatever its condition.
- Is the core copper? Cut a strand and look at the end. Copper outside with silver inside is copper-clad aluminium, and it is paid as aluminium, not copper.
- Is it insulated? Insulated wire is priced on recovery, meaning the share of total weight that is actually metal. Heavy cable recovers around 90 percent, household cable about 65, and communication cable under 50.
- Is anything attached? Solder, paint, brazing, steel fittings and brass ends all pull a piece down a grade. Cutting them off takes seconds and moves real weight up the board.
Sorting into separate piles before you weigh is the highest-paid work in this trade. A mixed load is graded at the lowest grade present, so one soldered joint in a clean pile can regrade the lot.
Before you sell copper in Netherlands
- Payment is cashless; bring ID and bank details.
- Ask for the LME percentage on copper and compare across dealers.
- Rotterdam area dealers usually pay the most for export grades.
- Ask for the price by grade rather than one figure for the load.
- Call at least two merchants. The spread between yards in one city is often wider than a day of movement in the metal.
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Price units | Per kg for non-ferrous, per tonne for ferrous |
| Benchmarks | LME prices in euros |
| Main hubs | Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven |
| Trade position | Trading hub and net exporter |
Copper scrap price questions, answered for Netherlands
What is the copper scrap price in Netherlands today?
Between €3.30 and €11.81 per kg depending on grade, quoted in EUR. The board above shows every grade, updated daily.
Why do two yards in the same city quote different prices?
Because they have different outlets. A merchant who can sell straight to a refinery pays closer to the reference than one who has to ship material onward, and both build their freight into the quote. Local competition does the rest, which is why calling two or three merchants is worth more than picking the day.
Which copper grade pays most in Netherlands?
Bare Bright Copper, at €11.81 per kg today. It is the strictest grade on the board: clean, uncoated, unalloyed wire of heavier gauge, with no oxidation and no attachments.
Is it worth stripping insulated wire before selling?
Above roughly 48 percent copper recovery, usually yes. Below it, usually not. Thick building cable strips quickly and pays; thin communication cable does not. Burning insulation is never the answer: it is unlawful in most jurisdictions and it downgrades the copper rather than improving it.
Do prices differ between cities in Netherlands?
Yes, though less than most sellers expect. The board on this page is the national indicative level and city yards trade around it. What moves a local quote is how many buyers can economically reach you, how far the material has to travel to a consumer, and whether there is an export outlet nearby.
How often does the copper price change?
Daily. Copper settles on the exchange every business day and every scrap grade moves with it, because each grade is priced as a share of the refined metal price rather than set independently.
Copper prices in other markets
United States
$6.22 / lb
Canada
C$8.34 / lb
United Kingdom
£9.74 / kg
Australia
A$18.08 / kg
Germany
€12.04 / kg
France
€11.81 / kg
Italy
€12.16 / kg
Spain
€11.81 / kg
Belgium
€11.93 / kg
China
CN¥90.30 / kg
Japan
¥2,077 / kg
South Korea
₩18,096 / kg
India
₹1,193 / kg
Bangladesh
৳1,483 / kg
Pakistan
Rs 3,274 / kg
UAE
AED 47.84 / kg
Saudi Arabia
SAR 47.82 / kg
Turkey
₺691.10 / kg
South Africa
R 186.00 / kg