EU aluminium scrap export curbs delayed until September, group and sources say

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, June 25 (Reuters) - The European Commission's plans to introduce measures to limit exports of aluminium scrap have been delayed until September, sector lobby group European Aluminium and other industry sources said.

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic announced the plans for measures to restrict scrap exports last November, saying then that they should be adopted by spring 2026. One industry source said the measures had been delayed due to the difficulty of finding a balance between competing interests.

The Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Scrap has a vital role in the sector's decarbonisation efforts, since recycling aluminium uses 95% less energy than producing metal from mined bauxite.

European Aluminium, representing producers who favour the export ban, said EU aluminium scrap exports hit a record 1.27 million metric tons in 2025, up about 50% from 2019 levels, with most heading to Asia and the highest amount to India. There were further increases in the first four months of 2026.

It added that an export ban announced by the United Arab Emirates in June would likely exacerbate the situation given that India normally sources around 20% of its scrap from the Gulf states.

"We’re naturally impatient due to the scale and urgency of the problems, but this is about the next five years, not the next five weeks," said Paul Voss, director general of European Aluminium, adding he was looking forward to effective measures after the EU institutions' traditional August break.

The industry group Recycling Europe opposes export restrictions. The group's members include companies shredding products, such as cars, and extracting aluminium fractions that can be fed into smelters.

The group says that only 20% of scrap is actually exported and much of this is of a lower grade that cannot be handled in the EU.

It said restrictions could lead to recyclers reducing operations and cancelling investments, leaving significant volumes of recyclable material remaining uncollected and unprocessed.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by David Gregorio)