en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to data from a Russian metal market monitoring agency, by the end of June 2026, the average price of domestic ferrous scrap steel in Russia had risen to 18,250 rubles per ton (approximately $207), setting a new high for the year. This price represents an increase of 268 rubles/ton from the end of May and a rise of about 13%, or roughly 2,000 rubles/ton, compared to the same period in 2025.

According to data released by "Translom," one of Russia's largest scrap steel purchasers, this price increase was primarily driven by active procurement activities from steel enterprises. Since the spring of 2026, Russian metallurgical companies have intensified their scrap steel purchases to address tight supplies of steelmaking raw materials, intensifying competition for scrap resources in the market. Meanwhile, Russia's scrap steel recycling volume has continued to decline. Data shows that in 2025, Russia's ferrous scrap steel recycling volume fell by 18.8% year-on-year to 16.4 million tons. "Translom" predicts that Russia's scrap steel recycling volume will further shrink to 14.4 million tons in 2026, marking the lowest level in nearly 20 years.

Scrap steel is a core raw material for electric arc furnace steelmaking. The tightening supply of scrap steel, coupled with strong demand from steel mills for procurement, is the main reason driving this round of price increases. Analysts point out that the rise in construction steel prices has had a transmission effect on scrap steel prices—over the past three months, the price of construction rebar in Russia has increased by more than 20%. T-Investments analyst Akhmed Aliyev expects that as demand declines in the fourth quarter, scrap steel prices may see some degree of correction. Additionally, the Russian government's temporary ban on the export of precious metal waste and electronic waste, implemented until May 31, 2026, has also had a certain impact on the supply-demand dynamics of the scrap steel market.

Currently, scrap steel prices vary across different regions of Russia. According to media reports, by the end of June, scrap steel prices in the Tatarstan region had reached 19,500 rubles per ton (excluding transportation costs), up about 5% from May. This new high for Russian scrap steel prices in the year is the result of both supply contraction and demand recovery. The continuous decline in scrap steel recycling volume is reshaping the raw material supply landscape of Russia's ferrous metal market.