Scrap Metal Market Update: Copper Leads While PGMs Slide – June 2025

North American Scrap Metal Market: Industrial Metals Shine as Precious Metals Cool Off

If you're moving scrap metal right now, the story is pretty straightforward: industrial metals are your friend, precious metals need a closer watch. Copper, aluminum, nickel, and zinc are all riding a wave of strong global demand, while gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are feeling the pressure of a higher-for-longer interest rate environment. Here's what the latest 30-day price data means for your yard and your next auction listing.

Industrial Metals: The Clear Winners This Month

Copper: Still the Star of the Scrap Yard

Copper is up 3.8% over the last 30 days, sitting at $6.37/lb, and the momentum is firmly positive. Grid modernization, EV manufacturing, and infrastructure buildouts across the US, China, and India are keeping demand tight and prices elevated. If you have copper scrap sitting in your yard — wire, pipe, bare bright, #1 or #2 — this is an excellent time to be moving it. Don't leave money on the table by waiting for a spike that may already be priced in.

Nickel, Aluminum, and Zinc: Solid and Steady

The rest of the industrial basket is also performing well. Nickel is up 2.0%, supported by battery and stainless steel demand. Zinc and lead are both up 0.7%, and aluminum has gained 0.7% on the month — modest, but the trend is positive. For scrap yard operators, this means mixed loads and zorba-type material are holding value well. Now is a good time to sort, clean, and move aluminum and nickel-bearing scrap rather than stockpile it.

Ferrous Scrap: Flat but Respectable

Both heavy melt and shredded scrap are essentially unchanged month-over-month — flat at 0.0% — but they're holding at historically decent price levels. There's no urgent reason to dump ferrous, but there's also no strong catalyst for a near-term rally. Keep moving material at your normal pace and focus your energy on the non-ferrous side of your inventory right now.

Precious Metals and PGMs: Time to Stop Waiting

Gold and Silver: Easing Off the Highs

Gold is down 4.5% in the last 30 days, currently at $4,524.79/oz, with mild negative momentum continuing into the most recent week. Silver dropped 1.9% to $76.14/oz — the 30-day trend still looks like a rise, but the short-term picture has turned soft. Higher-for-longer interest rates are weighing on both metals, as investors rotate toward yield-bearing assets.

For sellers with gold and silver-bearing scrap — jewelry lots, e-scrap, mixed precious material — the practical advice is simple: don't hold waiting for a quick bounce. If you're a regular seller, maintain your normal cadence. If you've been accumulating a larger lot, consider a staggered approach: list a portion now and spread the rest over the next few weeks to average out your price exposure.

PGMs and Catalytic Converters: Move Inventory Now

This is where sellers need to pay the most attention. Palladium has fallen nearly 12% in a single month, dropping to $1,349/oz with a clearly falling trend. Platinum is down 6.6% to $1,934/oz, and rhodium has slipped 4.9% to $9,650/oz — drifting sideways in a narrow range with no signs of a near-term reversal.

The message for catalytic converter sellers is clear: do not hoard converters expecting a quick PGM rebound. Palladium is the weak link in the converter basket right now, and holding inventory in a falling market costs you twice — once in price and once in carrying costs. The smart play is to turn your converter inventory into cash regularly. And when you list on SmashScrap.com, sort and grade your cats by code — specialist buyers can price accurately-graded material better, which often more than offsets softness in the underlying PGM prices.

Key Takeaways

• Copper (+3.8%) is the top performer — move wire, pipe, and copper-bearing scrap now while momentum is strong.
• Nickel (+2.0%), Zinc (+1.7%), Aluminum (+0.7%), and Lead (+0.7%) are all positive — good time to move industrial non-ferrous material.
• Ferrous scrap is flat but stable — no urgency to dump, just maintain normal selling cadence.
• Gold (-4.5%) and Silver (-1.9%) are easing — avoid over-holding precious metal scrap; consider staggered listings for large lots.
• Palladium (-11.8%) is the biggest concern — catalytic converter sellers should prioritize turning inventory into cash and list by grade/code for best returns.

What This Means for Scrap Sellers

The current market rewards sellers who are active, organized, and strategic. Industrial metals are in your favor right now — clean, sorted copper, aluminum, and nickel-bearing material will attract competitive bids from buyers who are actively sourcing. On the precious metal side, the edge goes to sellers who grade accurately and list consistently rather than timing the market. Whether you're running a full-service scrap yard or managing a specialty stream like e-scrap or catalytic converters, the worst position to be in right now is sitting on inventory while prices drift lower.

The best position? Listing regularly, grading accurately, and letting competitive bidding do the work for you.

List Your Scrap on SmashScrap.com Today

Ready to turn your inventory into cash at competitive market prices? SmashScrap.com connects scrap yards and industrial sellers with a nationwide network of qualified B2B buyers who bid on your material in real time. Whether you're moving copper wire, catalytic converters, aluminum extrusion, or mixed non-ferrous loads, our platform helps you get accurate, market-driven prices — every auction, every time. Create your free listing today and see why scrap sellers across North America trust SmashScrap to move material faster and smarter.