Tinned Copper is worth $5.35 per lb today in the United States, ranking 6 of 12 copper grades, against $6.22 for bare bright copper at the top. That is 8 percent below the general copper scrap rate. Copper with a tin coating; cannot reach bare bright.
Tinned copper is copper wire or bar with a thin coating of tin for corrosion resistance. It is real copper underneath, but the coating disqualifies it from bare bright and number 1, and it is priced as its own grade below them. The tell is silver outside, copper inside when a strand is cut.
- Versus the general copper scrap rate-8%
- Change today+$0.07
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What tinned copper is
Tin is applied to copper for one reason: it stops the surface oxidising. Marine wiring, bus bar in damp switchgear, high-temperature cable and a great deal of older electrical work all use it.
The coating is thin and the copper underneath is unalloyed, so the metal content is close to a bare grade. But the refinery has to deal with the tin, and yards price for that. Tinned copper sits below number 1 and near number 2 on most boards, sometimes as its own line and sometimes folded into number 2.
Where it comes from
Marine and boat wiring. Standards such as UL 1426, BC5W2 and ABYC require tinned conductors to resist salt corrosion, so marine cable is tinned by design. The battery cable page covers this in detail.
Bus bar. Much of the bar in electrical panels and switchgear is tin-plated. It looks like clean heavy copper and is not graded as such.
High-temperature and appliance wire. Cable rated for heat is often tinned to protect the strands.
Older building wire. Some vintage installations used tinned conductors throughout.
Solder-coated ends. Wire that has been dipped or soldered at the ends is effectively tinned at those points.
The three-way strand test
This is the check that matters, because three cables that look identical differ by several times in value.
Cut a strand and look at the end.
Copper all the way through: bare copper. The best case, and the only one that can reach bare bright.
Silver outside, copper inside: tinned copper. Real copper, capped below bare bright by the coating.
Copper outside, silver inside: copper-clad aluminium. The core is aluminium, and it is paid as aluminium at a fraction of the copper rate.
The second and third look nothing alike once cut, but they are regularly confused on the outside. Tinned wire is silver; copper-clad aluminium is copper-coloured. It is the inside of the strand that tells the truth.
Why it can never be bare bright
Bare bright requires an uncoated surface. Tin is a coating, however thin, so tinned wire is excluded by definition. Scrubbing does not help; the tin is bonded to the copper.
The same rule applies to number 1 at most yards, which is why tinned bus bar that looks like clean heavy copper is a common disappointment at the scale.
Sorting tinned copper
Keep it separate. One tinned strand in a bucket of bare bright costs the whole bucket a grade. This is the most expensive sorting mistake in the copper trade relative to the effort of avoiding it.
Ask how the yard grades it. Some carry a tinned line, some fold it into number 2. Either way, presented as a sorted lot it should not be graded lower than number 2.
Do not confuse it with copper-clad aluminium. Cut a strand before you assume. The grades guide covers the lookalikes.
Tinned Copper prices around the world
| Market | Currency | Price | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USD | $5.35 / lb | ▲ +1.33% |
| Canada | CAD | C$7.18 / lb | ▲ +1.33% |
| United Kingdom | GBP | £8.38 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Australia | AUD | A$15.55 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Germany | EUR | €10.36 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| France | EUR | €10.16 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Italy | EUR | €10.46 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Spain | EUR | €10.16 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Netherlands | EUR | €10.16 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Belgium | EUR | €10.26 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| China | CNY | CN¥77.67 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Japan | JPY | ¥1,787 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| South Korea | KRW | ₩15,565 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| India | INR | ₹1,026 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Bangladesh | BDT | ৳1,276 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Pakistan | PKR | Rs 2,816 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| UAE | AED | AED 41.15 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR | SAR 41.13 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Turkey | TRY | ₺594.44 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| South Africa | ZAR | R 159.98 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Ireland | EUR | €9.85 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Singapore | SGD | S$14.20 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
| Kenya | KES | KSh 1,282 / kg | ▲ +1.33% |
Where tinned copper comes from, market by market
| City | Market | What moves there |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | United States | Aluminum extrusion from windows, shutters and marine work |
| Cape Town | South Africa | Stainless from food, beverage and marine equipment |
| Vancouver | Canada | Stainless and alloys from marine and food industries |
| Brisbane | Australia | Aluminium and stainless from workshops and marine work |
| Chittagong | Bangladesh | Plate, beams and heavy marine steel, priced near mill programs |
| Naples | Italy | Brass and bronze from marine and plumbing work |
| Marseille | France | Marine brass and bronze from port and vessel work |
| Rotterdam | Netherlands | Marine brass and bronze |
| Bare Bright Copper | $6.22 / lb |
|---|---|
| Number 1 Copper | $5.95 / lb |
| Number 2 Copper | $5.48 / lb |
| Light Copper | $4.41 / lb |
| Irony Copper | $3.68 / lb |
| THHN Wire | $2.67 / lb |
| Romex Wire | $2.34 / lb |
| Communication Wire | $1.74 / lb |
| Copper Pipe and Tubing | $5.81 / lb |
| Copper Roofing and Sheet | $4.41 / lb |
| Copper Bus Bar | $6.01 / lb |
Questions people actually ask
What is the tinned copper price today?
The live figure is at the top of this page. It sits below number 1 and near number 2 on most boards.
Is tinned copper worth less than bare copper?
Yes, by a grade or two, because the refinery has to remove the tin. The metal underneath is the same.
Can I strip the tin off?
Not practically. It is bonded to the copper and does not scrub off. Tinned copper is sold as tinned copper.
Is marine wire tinned?
Almost always. Marine standards require tinned conductors for salt resistance, so boat wiring lands in this grade.
How do I tell tinned copper from copper-clad aluminium?
Cut a strand. Tinned copper is silver outside and copper inside. Copper-clad aluminium is copper outside and silver inside, and it is paid as aluminium.
Is tin-plated bus bar number 1?
No. The plating disqualifies it however clean it looks. It grades as tinned copper or number 2.
What happens if tinned wire is mixed with bare bright?
The whole lot is paid at the lower grade. Keep them in separate containers.
Does solder on the ends count as tinning?
Effectively yes. Solder-dipped or soldered ends put a piece in the tinned or number 2 grade unless they are cut off.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tinned copper price today?
The live figure is at the top of this page, derived from the exchange settlement. It sits below number 1 and near number 2 on most yard boards.
Is tinned copper worth less than bare copper?
Yes, by a grade or two, because the refinery has to deal with the tin coating. The copper underneath is the same metal at nearly the same purity.
Can I strip the tin coating off?
Not practically. Tin is bonded to the copper and does not scrub or scrape off. Tinned copper is sold as tinned copper.
Is marine wire tinned copper?
Almost always. Marine standards such as UL 1426, BC5W2 and ABYC require tinned conductors to resist salt corrosion, so boat wiring lands in this grade by design.
How do I tell tinned copper from copper-clad aluminium?
Cut a strand and look at the end. Tinned copper is silver outside and copper inside. Copper-clad aluminium is copper outside and silver inside, and it is paid as aluminium at a fraction of the copper rate.
Is tin-plated bus bar number 1 copper?
No. The plating disqualifies it from number 1 however clean and heavy it looks. Plated bus bar grades as tinned copper or number 2.
What happens if tinned wire is mixed with bare bright?
The whole lot is paid at the lower grade. One tinned strand in a bucket of bare bright costs the bucket a grade, so keep them in separate containers.
Does solder on wire ends count as tinning?
Effectively yes. Solder-dipped or soldered ends put a piece in the tinned or number 2 grade. Cutting the soldered inch off restores the grade of the rest.