Data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade (MDIC) showed that Brazil’s scrap exports totaled nearly 62,000 tons in March, up by 3,700 tons from February and 68.1% higher from the same month last year. Despite the monthly gain, total exports for the first quarter of 2025 dropped by 5.1% year on year to about 179,000 tons. India remained the top destination, taking in 62% of the volume, followed by Bangladesh at 15% and Bolivia at 4.8%.
Scrap imports also rebounded in March, reaching around 1,000 tons, up from 216 tons in February, though still lower than the 2,200 tons recorded in March 2024. Total imports for the first quarter stood at about 2,600 tons, marking a 40.4% decline compared to the same period last year. Germany and Spain led as Brazil’s primary sources of scrap imports, contributing 36% and 20%, respectively, followed by the Netherlands (11%) and Paraguay (7.6%).