Aluminium scrap is the new battle front in critical minerals war
The recent analysis published by Reuters strongly confirms what FACE has been emphasising for some time: aluminium scrap has become a strategic commodity, central to Europe’s policies on decarbonisation, supply security and industrial autonomy.
More than one million tonnes of scrap leave the European Union every year, while US tariffs on primary aluminium are creating a significant price gap that increasingly encourages European scrap to flow towards the American market. At the same time, the EU recycling sector is under pressure: a substantial share of furnaces is currently idle due to a lack of material — a clear sign of strain across the value chain.
Meanwhile, China is accelerating rapidly, aiming to increase its aluminium recycling capacity to 15 million tonnes a year by 2027. The risk is that Beijing could come to dominate the secondary aluminium market just as it already dominates the primary one.
The “global battle” for aluminium scrap has begun, and Europe cannot afford to fall behind. Scrap is not a by-product to be discarded: it represents saved energy, avoided emissions, and a crucial lever for long-term industrial competitiveness and resilience.
It is essential for Europe to adopt a coherent strategy that keeps more material within the Union, strengthens a genuinely competitive recycling industry, and protects a resource that will be decisive for the green transition.
Full article here.
