German steel scrap market limps towards end of year with stable or slightly higher prices

The German steel scrap market continued to face a difficult year, with November showing little improvement in domestic conditions. Recyclers struggled to sell material to steel mills in Germany and neighboring countries, despite a modest increase in export demand to regions such as Turkey and North Africa. Buyers on the domestic market remained largely inflexible on prices, with most steel mills paying roughly the same as the previous month. Only a few mills, which had paid prices well below the market average in October, implemented modest upward price adjustments. Scrap traders surveyed by EUWID described November as “relatively unspectacular” and “not very exciting”, though the absence of falling prices for the fifth consecutive month offered a small sense of stability. This has been a rare positive in what has otherwise been a challenging year for the steel and ferrous scrap sector. Domestic demand from steel producers remained generally modest, but the situation varied significantly between mills. Some mills purchased only minimal volumes to maintain business relationships with recyclers, while others reported normal or even surprisingly strong demand. In certain cases, steel producers were already stockpiling scrap in anticipation of December needs, suggesting localized pockets of activity amid an otherwise subdued market. Overall, while traders were hoping for more substantial price gains on the domestic front—especially given the rebound in exports—such increases largely failed to materialize. The market continues to reflect a cautious balance: stable or slightly higher prices, modest domestic demand, and limited flexibility from buyers, all highlighting the ongoing challenges facing the German steel scrap industry as the year draws to a close.