Europe's Aluminum Scrap Exports to U.S. Surge 243% Amid Tariff Gap
A sharp rise in European aluminum scrap shipments to the United States is intensifying debate over who controls recycled metal feedstock as both regions invest in lower-carbon aluminum production.
MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): European aluminum scrap exports to the United States surged 243% in 2025 compared with the previous year, intensifying concerns that growing international competition for recycled metal could constrain feedstock available to Europe's aluminum industry.
Evangelos Mytilineos, Executive Chairman of METLEN Energy & Metals, raised the issue during an October 19 interview with CNBC, arguing that Europe risks losing a strategically important secondary raw material while simultaneously trying to expand recycling and lower the carbon footprint of domestic manufacturing.
Mytilineos pointed to the contrasting treatment of aluminum under U.S. trade policy. Covered primary aluminum imports face a 50% Section 232 tariff, while aluminum waste and scrap is excluded from the aluminum action.
“Europe cannot pursue industrial competitiveness while allowing the resources needed for that industry to flow elsewhere,” Mytilineos said.
U.S. Demand Is Adding Competition for European Aluminum Scrap
The tariff difference gives scrap an important trade advantage relative to primary aluminum and has increased concern among European producers that additional recycled feedstock could be pulled toward U.S. buyers.
The 243% increase cited by Mytilineos represents the change in shipments to the United States between 2024 and 2025.
European Aluminium had already reported a sharp acceleration during the first half of 2025, when exports to the United States rose by almost 200% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Europe Views Aluminum Scrap as an Industrial Resource
The dispute reflects a broader shift in how governments and manufacturers view scrap. Recovered aluminum is increasingly being treated as an industrial feedstock rather than simply a waste material.
Recycling aluminum requires substantially less energy than producing primary metal. The European Commission estimates that aluminum recycling can save up to 95% of the energy required for primary production.
That makes access to scrap important not only for recyclers but also for manufacturers trying to reduce energy use, emissions and dependence on imported primary raw materials.
European Aluminium has warned that limited scrap availability is already affecting parts of the region's recycling sector and has advocated policies aimed at retaining more recovered metal within Europe.
The Trade Fight Shows Scrap Is No Longer Just a Recycling Commodity
The takeaway: The most important part of the 243% increase is not simply that more European scrap is crossing the Atlantic. It shows how recycled aluminum is becoming a strategic manufacturing input that regions increasingly compete to secure.
The tariff gap changes the economicsPrimary aluminum entering the U.S. is subject to the Section 232 aluminum tariff, while aluminum scrap under HS 7602 remains outside the measure. That creates a fundamentally different trade environment for recycled metal.
For U.S. consumers of secondary aluminum, foreign scrap can therefore become more attractive relative to tariff-affected primary metal. For European recyclers and remelters, the same dynamic can mean stronger competition for locally generated scrap.
Europe was already worried before the 243% figureEuropean Aluminium reported that shipments to the U.S. had risen almost 200% year over year during the first six months of 2025. The association also estimated that approximately 15% of European recycling furnace capacity was idle amid limited scrap availability.
The European Commission subsequently launched a dedicated consultation on measures intended to address what it described as the leakage of aluminum scrap from Europe, explicitly linking scrap availability to decarbonization, competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
Why North American recyclers should careMore imported scrap can expand feedstock options for U.S. secondary aluminum producers just as major domestic recycling and rolling investments are increasing demand for recovered material.
RecyclingMonster previously reported that U.S. aluminum processors were already preparing for stronger competition for scrap as new recycling and rolling capacity comes online.
What to watch nextThe central question is whether Europe moves from monitoring scrap outflows to measures that make exports less attractive. Any change affecting European aluminum scrap exports could alter competition for secondary feedstock on both sides of the Atlantic.
EU Has Considered Measures to Keep More Scrap in Europe
The European Commission opened a targeted consultation in late 2025 on a potential trade measure intended to improve aluminum scrap availability within the EU.
The Commission said retaining sufficient scrap is important to Europe's green transition, industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
For recycling companies, remelters and aluminum manufacturers, the debate increasingly centers on whether freely traded scrap should continue to be treated like an ordinary commodity or receive greater policy attention because of its role in low-carbon manufacturing.
With U.S. recycling and aluminum-production capacity also expanding, competition for quality scrap could remain an important issue for both European and North American markets.
European Aluminum Scrap Exports: What to Know
How much did European aluminum scrap exports to the U.S. increase?
METLEN Executive Chairman Evangelos Mytilineos said exports increased 243% in 2025 compared with 2024.
Why are U.S. buyers attracting European aluminum scrap?
Industry representatives point to the tariff difference between covered primary aluminum imports and aluminum scrap, which remains outside the U.S. Section 232 aluminum action.
Why is aluminum scrap important to European manufacturers?
Scrap provides feedstock for secondary aluminum production and can reduce energy use and reliance on newly produced primary metal.
How much energy can aluminum recycling save?
The European Commission says recycling aluminum can save up to 95% of the energy required for primary production.
Could Europe restrict aluminum scrap exports?
The European Commission has examined potential measures to improve scrap availability in Europe. Any future restrictions or trade measures would depend on further EU policy action.