Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – April 13, 2026

Prices as of April 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM UTC.

Market screen levels only — not yard pay prices. Actual buy prices at the scale will differ based on grade, moisture, contamination, and freight. The scrolling ticker at the top of this page shows live prices and may differ from the snapshot below.

Jump to:

• Gold — $4,713/oz ▼
• Silver — $73.91/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $10,000 · Pt ▼ $2,020 · Pd ▲ $1,509
• Copper — $5.87/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.61/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3825

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Hold off on sales as both metals dropped sharply today (gold down $41.66 to $4,713/oz, silver down $2.00 to $73.91/oz). These declines look overdone after recent volatility, and Detroit/Chicago dealers should wait for stabilization before listing major lots.
• PGMs — Mixed signals today with only palladium showing strength (up $2.00 to $1,509/oz) while platinum fell $24.00 to $2,020/oz and rhodium dropped $200 to $10,000/oz. Atlanta and Los Angeles auto cat processors should focus on palladium sales but hold platinum inventory until this weakness passes.
• Copper — Minimal gain of half a penny to $5.87/lb shows the strong momentum is stalling. Houston and Pittsburgh industrial sellers should list copper inventory immediately as these elevated levels may not hold much longer.
• Aluminum — Strong 2-cent gain to $1.61/lb continues the upward trend. Cleveland recyclers should move aluminum stock now as energy-intensive primary production costs keep scrap values attractive and demand signals remain positive.
• Big Picture — Only 3 of 8 metals moved higher today, with precious metals leading the decline while industrial metals showed resilience.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $102.29/bbl, up $7.84 (+8.30%) day-over-day.

Oil's surge of $7.84 to break above $102 per barrel reflects growing tensions around Iran-related trade disruptions. Banks are pulling back from commodity trade finance due to geopolitical risk fears, forcing more traders toward alternative settlement methods. This energy spike hits scrap operations hard through higher diesel costs for collection trucks and processing equipment.

The macro backdrop shows inflation expectations ticking up to 2.36% while the Fed holds steady at 3.64%. Higher energy costs will flow through to scrap transportation and sorting operations over the next two weeks. Detroit and Chicago yards should expect margin pressure from fuel costs, while Houston and Los Angeles operations may see some relief from stronger regional demand. The weaker dollar index at 90.82 provides some offset by making U.S. scrap more attractive to overseas buyers, particularly for copper and aluminum exports to Canadian markets where USD/CAD sits at 1.3825.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,713/oz, down $41.66 (-0.88%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,755/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold fell $42 to $4,713 per ounce as geopolitical tensions around Iran trade disruptions continue driving market uncertainty. Despite the decline, gold remains near historic highs and continues attracting safe-haven demand from central banks worried about supply chain risks. Scrap gold sellers in Detroit and Chicago should expect buyer premiums to stay strong as dealers maintain inventory for uncertain times ahead.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $73.91/oz, down $2.00 (-2.64%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.92/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 63.8:1.

Silver dropped $2.00 to $73.91 per ounce today as geopolitical tensions around Iran trade disruptions weigh on industrial metals demand. The gold-to-silver ratio widened to 63.8 to 1, suggesting silver is becoming relatively cheaper compared to gold and may offer better value for scrap sellers. Electronics recyclers in Detroit and Chicago should watch for improved margins as this decline makes silver scrap more attractive to buyers, while solar panel recyclers may see steady demand given silver's critical role in renewable energy applications.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $2,020/oz, down $24.00 (-1.17%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,044/oz. MoM: -0.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,509/oz, up +$2.00 (+0.13%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,507/oz. MoM: -1.8%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $10,000/oz, down $200.00 (-1.96%) day-over-day. Previous close: $10,200/oz. MoM: -13.0%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.

Platinum dropped $24 to $2,020/oz while rhodium fell $200 to $10,000/oz as geopolitical tensions around Iran trade disruptions weigh on precious metals markets. Palladium managed a small $2 gain to $1,509/oz, showing resilience despite broader sector weakness. Auto recyclers in Detroit and Atlanta should watch for further volatility as banking restrictions on commodity trade finance push more dealers toward alternative payment methods, potentially creating pricing delays in catalyst markets.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.87/lb, up +$0.0050 (+0.09%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.87/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 5 of last 5 sessions.

Copper edged up less than a cent to $5.87 per pound, marking its fifth straight session of gains amid growing geopolitical tensions around Iran that are disrupting global trade finance. The tiny increase reflects steady demand from Detroit auto recyclers and Chicago industrial buyers, even as banks pull back from commodity financing due to risk fears. Sellers of #1 copper, bare bright wire, and copper tubing should expect stable pricing as the metal holds above key support levels, with Houston and Los Angeles yards reporting consistent buyer interest despite the trade finance challenges forcing some traders toward alternative payment methods.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,560/tonne ($1.61/lb), up +$0.0219 (+1.38%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.59/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum gained 2 cents to $1.61 per pound as geopolitical tensions around Iran push oil above $102 per barrel, making energy-intensive primary aluminum production more expensive. This creates better pricing for scrap sellers in Detroit, Chicago, and Pittsburgh who compete against costlier virgin metal. Cast aluminum from auto recyclers and sheet aluminum from industrial sellers should see steady demand as manufacturers look for cost savings.

Steel Scrap (Shredded (SHS), scrapmonster) — Current Indicators

• Steel Scrap Shredded (SHS) (SCRAP-SHS): $413.00/mt, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $413.00/mt.
• 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.
• HMS 1&2 (80:20) (SCRAP-HM): $366.00/mt (flat day-over-day).

Want to move PGM-bearing material, copper, aluminum, or steel scrap through competitive bidding? List your lots on Smash Scrap and let vetted buyers compete for your scrap.