Halting the export of aluminum scrap outside Europe

The European aluminium sector is anxiously awaiting the Commission’s new measures aimed at curbing the flow of aluminium scrap outside the EU and halting the loss of resources that are crucial to the sector’s sustainability.

The high prices of aluminium scrap combined with the Union’s high scrap export volumes, as well as the lack of a strategy from Europe to curb unfair practices by countries and market distortion, endanger not only the economic viability of the EU aluminium sector but also its environmental objectives, competitiveness and economic security due to the risk of increased dependence on bauxite/aluminium import sources.

The aluminium industry is already facing a shortage of affordable aluminium scrap inputs and is facing serious difficulties. This has led to a halt in investment in recycling.

Around 30 companies, representing 65% of aluminium recycling capacity, are facing difficult financial conditions. This means that if the EU does not take action to address these challenges, there is a serious risk that there will not be enough aluminium scrap available and that the EU industry will become unsustainable in the medium and long term.

Strategic initiative

In this context, the European Commission has launched a call for submissions on measures to ensure sufficient availability of aluminium scrap on the market. The Commission gathered the views of interested parties through a relevant consultation on 31 January 2026. From now on, it is expected to prepare a working document, which will include an economic model that will analyze various scenarios and their impact on the EU aluminium supply chain and before the end of the first quarter of 2026 the Commission will submit a concise factual report.

As executives in the sector emphasized to “N”, this initiative is becoming of major importance. This is a strategic move in the context of international competition for the securing of Critical Mineral Raw Materials. The statement of Evangelos Mytilineos, during his recent speech as president of European Metals (formerly Eurometaux), is characteristic: “We welcome the upcoming measures for aluminum scrap exports and we call on the Commission to examine the problem for copper with the same urgency”. It should be noted that METLEN’s Metallurgy Sector is laying the foundations for a 100% sustainable and green industrial activity. The company is proceeding with the production of high-quality aluminum alloys through the remelting of aluminum scrap, which comes from all stages of aluminum production.