Asian market demand for European aluminum scrap
Asia consumes more than half of the world's secondary aluminum output and imports the bulk of its feedstock from Europe and North America. Indian secondary smelters need consistent UBC and Taint/Tabor for sheet-ingot production. Chinese billet casters source 6063 extrusion to feed extrusion mills. Vietnamese, Bangladeshi and Pakistani re-rollers consume mixed aluminum for utensil sheet. Korean and Taiwanese wheel manufacturers buy Troma to feed wheel-back-to-wheel programmes. Demand is structural, not cyclical — every modern Asian smelter is built around imported scrap because virgin metal is too energy-intensive and too costly to anchor a melt schedule.
UBC specifications and packaging for Asian buyers
Our UBC ships to ISRI 'Talc' (baled) or 'Taldon' (loose densified) specification. Bale dimensions are 1.0 × 1.0 × 1.0 m or 1.1 × 1.1 × 1.5 m, weighing 250–500 kg, banded with steel strapping. Moisture target is below 2%, free liquid less than 1%, magnetic content under 1%, organics under 4%. A 20GP container loads 18–20 MT of bales or 21–22 MT of densified UBC. Bales are stacked two-high with no void space, photographed before sealing, and shipped with a moisture declaration on the packing list.
6063 extrusion specifications
6063 ships to ISRI 'Tata' (clean mixed extrusion) or 'Tutu' (clean painted/anodised extrusion). Chemistry target: Mg 0.45–0.9%, Si 0.2–0.6%, Fe max 0.35%, Cu max 0.10%, Mn max 0.10%, Zn max 0.10%, Ti max 0.10%. Material is free of attachments, thermal-break inserts, screws, plastic, glass and steel. Pieces are size-reduced to fit a 20GP container at 24–26 MT loading weight. Buyers needing tighter Cu or Fe limits receive a written guarantee on the contract and an XRF spec sheet per container.
TROMA aluminum wheel scrap
TROMA — ISRI 'Troma' — covers clean automotive aluminum wheels with hubs, valves, rubber, steel weights and lead removed. Chemistry is typically A356 (Al-Si 7%-Mg 0.3%) or A357. Container weights run 24–26 MT per 20GP. We source wheels from licensed European end-of-life vehicle dismantlers — never aftermarket consumer collections of unknown alloy. Korean and Taiwanese re-melters pay a tight LME discount on Troma because the recovery yield is over 95%.
Tense and Taint/Tabor mixed aluminum
Tense — ISRI 'Tense' — is clean mixed low-copper aluminum sheet and cast suitable for deox-grade ingot makers. Taint/Tabor — ISRI 'Taint/Tabor' — is mixed clean low-copper aluminum with painted material allowed. Both grades load at 23–25 MT per 20GP and are popular with Indian and Vietnamese secondary smelters producing master alloys and deoxidants for the steel industry. We segregate Tense from Taint/Tabor at the yard so each container ships against a single declared grade.
Shipping routes and transit times to Asia
From Rotterdam we book weekly direct sailings via Maersk, MSC, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and ONE. Typical transit: 18–22 days Rotterdam → Nhava Sheva and Mundra; 22–26 days → Chittagong; 24–28 days → Port Klang and Ho Chi Minh; 28–32 days → Shanghai, Tianjin and Busan. Transhipment via Singapore or Tanjung Pelepas adds 2–4 days. Booking lead time from contract signature to loaded vessel is 7–14 days subject to grade availability and inspection scheduling.
Inspection process for Asian destinations
India requires BIS pre-shipment inspection executed by an approved agency at the loading port. China requires CCIC inspection and seal application. Bangladesh accepts SGS or Bureau Veritas. Vietnam accepts SGS, BV or Intertek. We arrange all four agencies at our yard. The inspector observes container stuffing, draws representative samples for XRF analysis where required, takes photographs, applies seals and issues the inspection certificate that travels with the bill of lading. Inspection cost is for the buyer's account unless agreed otherwise.
Documentation required by Asian customs
Every container ships with commercial invoice, packing list, weighbridge tickets, photographs of container interior, bill of lading, EUR.1 (where applicable), EU Annex VII waste-shipment movement document, and the destination-country inspection certificate (BIS, CCIC, etc.). Indian buyers receive form BIS-1. Chinese buyers receive CCIC certificate and AQSIQ-compliant labelling. Bangladeshi buyers receive a pre-shipment inspection certificate referenced to LC. Documents are couriered or transmitted via secure email to the buyer's bank.
LME-linked pricing for Asian deliveries
Every offer references LME Aluminium High Grade (P1020A) cash settlement. A typical 2026 trading band: UBC at 78–84% of LME CIF Nhava Sheva; Taint/Tabor at 82–86%; 6063 at 88–93%; Troma at 90–94%; Tense at 85–90%. Spot quotes are issued in writing within 24 hours of RFQ, valid for 48 hours subject to LME movement. The percentage method dominates Indian and Vietnamese trade; flat-differential pricing (LME minus USD/MT) is used more often by Chinese and Korean accounts.
How to onboard as an Asian buyer
Send an RFQ specifying grade, tonnage, destination port and payment terms. We verify your company registration, import licence (BIS, MOEF, CCIC, MOIT or equivalent) and bank reference within 24–48 hours. On approval we issue a sales contract. Standard terms are 30% TT advance and 70% LC at sight against scanned B/L. Repeat accounts negotiate documentary collection or open-account terms. First-time buyers receive sample photos and a yard video before loading; references from existing accounts in the same region are provided on request.