Europe’s aluminium scrap exports to the US have risen by 243 per cent, highlighting a growing concern over the continent’s access to strategic raw materials as it pursues recycling, decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. Evangelos Mytilineos, Executive Chairman of METLEN, raised the issue, linking scrap outflows to the broader challenges facing European industry, energy security and strategic autonomy.
Mytilineos referred to the contrasting US tariff treatment of aluminium products, i.e., a 50 per cent tariff on primary aluminium, compared with zero tariff on scrap. With European aluminium scrap exports to the US increasing by 243 per cent, he questioned whether Europe could strengthen its industrial base while allowing valuable raw materials to leave the continent.
The issue sits within a wider debate over Europe’s economic position. It has also depended on affordable energy, large export markets and the security umbrella of the US, conditions that can no longer be taken for granted. He emphasised the need to protect Europe’s industrial base and reinforce its competitiveness.