Scrap metal prices per kg in Kuwait
| Scrap type | Price (KWD) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | KD 3.606 / kg | ▲ +1.77% | $5.75 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | KD 0.508 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | KD 2.195 / kg | ▲ +1.45% | $3.50 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | KD 0.357 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | KD 0.370 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | KD 0.564 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | KD 0.144 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | KD 2.076 / kg | ▲ +1.85% | $3.31 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | KD 1.743 / kg | ▲ +1.83% | $2.78 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | KD 1.160 / kg | ▲ +1.65% | $1.85 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | KD 0.495 / kg | ▲ +1.28% | $0.79 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | KD 94 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | KD 83 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | KD 113 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | KD 90 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap. Global reference is the US board in US dollars; the Kuwait figure applies the exchange rate (1 USD = 0.31 KWD) and a local market factor of 0.92.
Yards quote in Kuwaiti dinars per kilogram, and the dinar is a high-value currency, so figures per kilo look small next to other markets. Prices here are derived from the exchange settlement, converted to dinars, and adjusted by a market factor of 0.92, our assessment of a market where the highest-value stream cannot legally leave and domestic buyers therefore face less competition for it. The factor is published on the editorial policy page and is open to challenge.
Kuwait scrap price chart (KWD)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in KWD 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 Kuwait
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 KWD.
The scrap market in Kuwait
Kuwait's scrap policy is unusual because it is selective rather than general. Industry accounts of Gulf trade rules identify copper scrap export as banned in Kuwait, while the broader ferrous export ban that once applied under ministerial decision 206 of 2003 was subsequently cancelled by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.
That combination is worth understanding before you plan anything. Most markets on this site either restrict scrap exports broadly, as Egypt and Saudi Arabia do, or tax them, as the UAE chose to. Kuwait picked one metal.
The reason is not hard to infer. Copper is the highest-value scrap stream, the one most associated with infrastructure theft across the region, and the easiest to move in small quantities. A ban on copper specifically targets exactly the material where the incentive to steal is strongest.
- Currency
- Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
- Units
- Kilogram
- Market factor
- 0.92 (our assessment, published on the editorial policy page)
- Copper
- Export of copper scrap identified as banned
- Ferrous
- Ministerial decision 206 of 2003 on scrap metal export was cancelled
The most valuable scrap by weight in Kuwait today: Copper at KD 3.606 per kg, Brass at KD 2.195 per kg, Radiator at KD 2.076 per kg, Wire at KD 1.743 per kg, Cable at KD 1.160 per kg.
What scrap metal pays per kg in Kuwait
Buyers in Kuwait work in KWD and price by the kilogram. Typical ranges are Copper: KD 3.2 to KD 4.0 per kg; Brass: KD 1.9 to KD 2.5 per kg; Aluminium: KD 0.4 to KD 0.6 per kg; Zinc: KD 0.5 to KD 0.6 per kg; Lead: KD 0.3 to KD 0.4 per kg; Stainless steel: KD 0.3 to KD 0.4 per kg. Across common non-ferrous grades that puts most material between KD 0.3 and KD 4 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 KWD and adjusted by our published market factor of 0.92. 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: KD 3.2 to KD 4.0 per kg
- Brass: KD 1.9 to KD 2.5 per kg
- Aluminium: KD 0.4 to KD 0.6 per kg
- Zinc: KD 0.5 to KD 0.6 per kg
- Lead: KD 0.3 to KD 0.4 per kg
- Stainless steel: KD 0.3 to KD 0.4 per kg
Selling scrap metal in Kuwait: rules, ID and payment
The single most important thing to establish is which metal you are dealing with. Copper is treated differently from everything else, and the difference is not a rate, it is a prohibition.
For ferrous and other non-ferrous streams, the picture is more ordinary. The ministerial decision that governed scrap metal export was cancelled, lifting the ban that had applied under it.
As with every Gulf market, verify the current position before committing. This region has changed scrap policy repeatedly in recent years: the UAE banned, lifted, taxed and banned again inside six years, and Qatar moved to monitored restriction in October.
Before you sell
- Establish the metal first. Copper is a separate legal question here, not a pricing question.
- Verify the current rule before contracting. Gulf scrap policy has changed repeatedly and recently.
- Expect domestic copper pricing to sit below what an export market would pay, because the export market is closed to it.
- For ferrous, treat Kuwait as an ordinary regional market and compare against UAE and Saudi buyers.
Scrap prices by city in Kuwait
City pages for Kuwait are being added; the country board above already reflects prices in its main hubs: Kuwait.
Scrap yards in Kuwait
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 Kuwait 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.
Kuwait scrap price FAQ
Can copper scrap be exported from Kuwait?
Industry accounts of Gulf trade rules identify copper scrap export as banned in Kuwait. Because this is the single most consequential fact for anyone trading here, verify the current position with the relevant authority before contracting.
What about steel and other metals?
More ordinary. The ministerial decision that governed scrap metal export, number 206 of 2003, was cancelled by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, lifting the ban that had applied under it.
Why single out copper?
It is the highest-value stream, the one most associated with infrastructure theft across the region, and the easiest to move in small quantities. Restricting it targets the material where the incentive to steal is strongest.
What does that do to the copper price I am offered?
It lowers the ceiling. With no export route, domestic buyers compete only against each other rather than against the world market, which is the same mechanism that holds Egyptian prices down, applied to one metal.
Why are prices per kilo so small?
The dinar is a high-value currency, so a figure that looks low next to riyals or dirhams may be the same money. Compare in dollars per tonne if you are checking against an international reference.
Is Gulf scrap policy stable?
No. The UAE banned exports, lifted the ban, replaced it with a duty and then reimposed a ban inside six years, and Qatar moved to monitored restriction in October. Assume the rule you read last year may not be the rule today.
Is the Gulf short of scrap or long?
The region is described in trade reporting as scrap-surplus, which is why its exports matter to buyers in India and elsewhere. The restrictions are about retaining that surplus for domestic electric arc furnace capacity rather than about shortage.
How do I get the best price in Kuwait?
Separate properly, establish which legal category each metal falls into before you negotiate, and for ferrous compare what UAE and Saudi buyers are paying, since that is the competitive set your buyer is working against.
Sources and methodology
Prices on this page start from the global reference board (US dollars per pound or per ton), are multiplied by a Kuwait market factor of 0.92 that reflects local demand, freight and trade rules, and are converted to KWD at 1 USD = 0.31 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
- Industry reporting on GCC scrap trade barriers and country-level export rules
- Global Trade Alert record of the cancellation of ministerial decision 206/2003
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.