Scrap metal prices per kg in Colombia
| Scrap type | Price (COP) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | $34,232 / kg | ▼ -2.28% | $5.56 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | $4,741 / kg | ▼ -1.28% | $0.77 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | $20,995 / kg | ▼ -1.73% | $3.41 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | $3,509 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | $3,633 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | $5,541 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | $1,416 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | $19,640 / kg | ▼ -2.45% | $3.19 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | $16,500 / kg | ▼ -2.55% | $2.68 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | $11,021 / kg | ▼ -2.19% | $1.79 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | $4,741 / kg | ▼ -2.53% | $0.77 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | $923,533 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | $812,709 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | $1,108,239 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | $886,591 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap. Global reference is the US board in US dollars; the Colombia figure applies the exchange rate (1 USD = 3,173.54 COP) and a local market factor of 0.88.
Yards quote in Colombian pesos per kilogram. Prices here are derived from the exchange settlement, converted to pesos, and adjusted by a market factor of 0.88, our assessment of a market where domestic mills consume a large share of collected steel and where the copper trade carries significant provenance risk. The factor is published on the editorial policy page and is open to challenge.
Colombia scrap price chart (COP)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in COP 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 Colombia
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 COP.
The scrap market in Colombia
A Bogota dealer publishing rates for 2026 pays 33,000 pesos a kilo for clean red copper and 700 pesos a kilo for iron. That is a ratio of roughly forty-seven to one, the widest spread between the best and the commonest metal in any market we cover.
The practical meaning is that in Colombia, more than almost anywhere, what you are carrying matters far more than how much of it you have. A hundred kilos of iron is worth about twenty-two dollars. Two kilos of clean copper is worth more.
That gap is also why Colombian scrap sits under a criminal provision rather than only a commercial one.
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP)
- Units
- Kilogram
- Market factor
- 0.88 (our assessment, published on the editorial policy page)
- Copper to iron
- About 47 to 1, the widest ratio on this site
- Key law
- Article 240, Law 599 of 2000: five to twelve years for theft of utility and telecom elements
- Trader registration
- RUCOM, renewed annually in May, plus RUT with DIAN
The most valuable scrap by weight in Colombia today: Copper at $34,232 per kg, Brass at $20,995 per kg, Radiator at $19,640 per kg, Wire at $16,500 per kg, Cable at $11,021 per kg.
Scrap metal rates in Colombia, by grade
Rates in Colombia are quoted per kilogram in COP. Typical ranges are Copper: $ 30,125 to $ 38,340 per kg; Brass: $ 18,475 to $ 23,515 per kg; Aluminium: $ 4,170 to $ 5,310 per kg; Zinc: $ 4,875 to $ 6,205 per kg; Lead: $ 3,195 to $ 4,070 per kg; Stainless steel: $ 3,090 to $ 3,930 per kg. Across common non-ferrous grades that puts most material between $ 3,090 and $ 38,340 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 COP and adjusted by our published market factor of 0.88. 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: $ 30,125 to $ 38,340 per kg
- Brass: $ 18,475 to $ 23,515 per kg
- Aluminium: $ 4,170 to $ 5,310 per kg
- Zinc: $ 4,875 to $ 6,205 per kg
- Lead: $ 3,195 to $ 4,070 per kg
- Stainless steel: $ 3,090 to $ 3,930 per kg
Selling scrap metal in Colombia: rules, ID and payment
Cable theft stopped being ordinary theft in Colombia in 2007. Article 240 of Law 599 of 2000, the criminal code, sets a penalty of five to twelve years imprisonment where theft is committed on elements intended for telephone, telegraph, computing, telematic or satellite communications, or for the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity and domestic gas, or for water and sewerage services.
That is an unusually specific and severe provision, and it exists because of scale. One public lighting concessionaire reported more than 33 kilometres of cable and 200 boxes stolen on a single stretch of road near an industrial zone.
On the trading side, a comercializadora must be enrolled in RUCOM, the Registro Unico de Comercializadores de Minerales, and the registration is renewed annually, generally during May, to demonstrate continuing economic capacity and the legality of the activity. Traders also need a RUT, the tax registration, with the correct economic activity recorded.
Depending on what you do with the metal, a further registration may apply. Resolution 1342 of 2020 requires businesses transforming waste to register with the environmental authority, and regional authorities such as the Medellin metropolitan area operate their own requirements.
Before you sell
- Ask whether the buyer is enrolled in RUCOM and when the registration was last renewed. It expires annually.
- Keep evidence of where metal came from. The provision covering utility cable carries five to twelve years, and provenance questions follow from that.
- Strip cable if the volume justifies it. Insulated cable is paid at roughly a third of clean copper.
- Separate red copper from radiator copper and from brass rather than handing them over mixed.
- Check the collection threshold. One Bogota dealer collects free from 1,000 kilos at the same per-kilo rate, and charges for smaller pickups.
- Expect sulfated copper to be discounted, because it needs cleaning before it can be processed.
Scrap prices by city in Colombia
City pages for Colombia are being added; the country board above already reflects prices in its main hubs: Colombia.
Scrap yards in Colombia
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 Colombia 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.
Colombia scrap price FAQ
A como esta el kilo de chatarra en Colombia?
A Bogota dealer publishing rates for 2026 pays around 700 pesos a kilo for iron and heavy scrap, 600 for light scrap, 33,000 for clean red copper, 22,000 for radiator copper and for bronze, 11,000 for insulated copper cable and 5,200 for aluminium. Rates move with the metal market, so confirm before travelling.
Why is copper worth so much more than iron here?
At those figures the ratio is about forty-seven to one, the widest on this site. It means what you are carrying matters far more than how much of it you have: two kilos of clean copper is worth more than a hundred kilos of iron.
What does article 240 of Law 599 cover?
It sets five to twelve years imprisonment for theft committed on elements intended for telephone, telegraph, computing, telematic or satellite communications, or for generating, transmitting or distributing electricity and domestic gas, or for water and sewerage. Cable theft ceased to be ordinary theft in 2007.
What is RUCOM?
The Registro Unico de Comercializadores de Minerales. Every trading company must be enrolled, and the registration is renewed annually, generally in May, to show continuing economic capacity and legality of the activity.
What else does a legal scrap business need?
A RUT, the tax registration with DIAN, recorded under the correct economic activity. If the business transforms metal rather than only trading it, Resolution 1342 of 2020 requires registration with the environmental authority, and regional bodies may impose their own requirements.
Why is insulated cable worth so much less?
Because you are paid for the net copper and the insulation is deducted. At the published Bogota rates, cable is around 11,000 pesos against 33,000 for clean copper, so stripping is worth roughly three times the rate if the volume justifies the work.
What is sulfated copper and why is it discounted?
Copper that has oxidised to a sulfated state. Dealers pay less for it because it must go through a cleaning process before it can be processed, which is a real cost rather than a pretext.
Will a buyer collect from my site?
Commonly above a volume threshold. One Bogota operator collects free from 1,000 kilos at the same per-kilo rate as delivery, and charges a fee for smaller pickups. Below the threshold you deliver.
Do prices differ between Colombian cities?
Less than you might expect on the base rate. At least one national operator states that the base price is the same across the cities it serves and what changes is the transport cost when volume is low.
How bad is the cable theft problem?
One public lighting concessionaire reported more than 33 kilometres of cable and 200 boxes taken from a single road corridor near an industrial zone. That scale is why the criminal provision exists and why buyers ask about provenance.
Sources and methodology
Prices on this page start from the global reference board (US dollars per pound or per ton), are multiplied by a Colombia market factor of 0.88 that reflects local demand, freight and trade rules, and are converted to COP at 1 USD = 3,173.54 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
- Published 2026 buying rates from a Bogota chatarreria
- Law 599 of 2000, Colombian criminal code, article 240
- RUCOM and RUT registration requirements for metal traders
- Resolution 1342 of 2020 on registration of waste transformation businesses
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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