2025 closes with price increase on German steel scrap market and nascent hopes of an upswing
2025 closes with price increase on German steel scrap market and nascent hopes of an upswing The German ferrous scrap market is ending 2025 after a very challenging year marked by weak industrial activity, lower scrap availability, reduced domestic demand, and strong margin pressure. Overall prices remained low for much of the year, weighing heavily on recyclers. In December, scrap prices increased, but trading activity stayed subdued and volumes were limited. Many steel mills had already secured sufficient material in November and largely stayed out of the market, buying only small volumes to maintain supplier relationships. Despite this, some signs of improvement emerged. Certain buyers showed solid demand ahead of restarting production after the Christmas break and were willing to pay modest price increases. The price rise was also supported by stronger export demand, particularly from Turkey, where higher finished steel prices led buyers to actively secure scrap for January deliveries. While recyclers see early signs of recovery, they caution that stronger political support will be needed for a sustained market turnaround in 2026.