What is Copper Candy scrap? (ISRI definition)
Candy is the ISRI designation for clean unalloyed uncoated copper solids — bus bars, thick copper strip, heavy gauge wire cut-offs above 1/16 inch, and clean solid copper sheet — with minimum 99% copper by weight. Candy sits between Millberry (bare bright wire, 99.95% Cu min) and Birch/Cliff (mixed heavy copper, 96% Cu min) in the ISRI hierarchy. Candy is chosen when a buyer needs high-purity solids that are not wire-form — for direct rod-mill re-melt, brass alloy production, or refinery cathode input. Because Candy trades close to LME Copper Grade A, spec compliance is enforced strictly.
ISRI Candy specification
Contract standard: 99% copper minimum, clean unalloyed, uncoated, unplated, free of solder, brazing, iron, brass and other non-copper attachments. Piece thickness above 1/16 inch (1.6 mm). No insulated wire, no burnt wire (that is Birch), no tinned copper (that is Cocoa or Cliff). Density delivers 22–24 MT per 20GP container. Every container ships with XRF composite chemistry confirming Cu content, and photo dossier documenting cleanliness.
Source stream: European industrial dismantling
Our Candy inventory originates from three European industrial streams. First, decommissioned electrical switchgear and transformer bus-bar systems from utility grid upgrades — thick uncoated copper bar directly to Candy spec. Second, industrial machine builders and cable manufacturers selling clean solid production offcuts. Third, licensed cable-stripping operators processing thick armoured cable and separating the solid copper core from insulation. All three streams pass through our Rotterdam-area yard for visual re-grade, XRF verification and any final cleaning before consolidation to buyer contract.
Applications: refineries, rod mills, brass ingot
Candy has three primary markets. Copper refineries use it as a direct anode-furnace feed — the high purity minimises refinery losses. Copper-rod mills (producing wire-rod for cable manufacturers) re-melt Candy alongside Millberry in an oxygen-free shaft furnace. Brass ingot makers blend Candy with zinc scrap to hit CuZn37 (C260) or CuZn40 (C280) chemistry — using Candy rather than lower grades keeps residual lead and tin within specification. Bronze foundries producing tin-bronze castings use Candy as the copper base.
Container loading and worldwide shipping
Candy loads loose or bundled into 20GP containers at 22–24 MT net. Bus bars and thick strip are palletised or strapped into bundles for stability. Containers are weighed, photographed, sealed with high-security bolt seals. Weekly direct sailings from Rotterdam reach Shanghai/Ningbo (26–30 days), Nhava Sheva (18–22 days), Mersin (14–18 days) and Jebel Ali (20–24 days). Because Candy is high-value cargo, container theft risk is managed via 24-hour yard CCTV, geo-fenced tracking on high-value routes on request, and hidden identification marks on selected pieces.
Quality control and third-party inspection
Inbound Candy is XRF-tested at the gate for copper purity and screened for solder, tin plating and iron attachments. Any lot below 99% Cu is downgraded to Birch/Cliff. Accepted lots are weighed, photographed and lot-numbered. Third-party inspection by SGS, BV, Intertek or CCIC is arranged on the buyer's request — the inspector observes stuffing, verifies chemistry, and issues the certificate before B/L. Chinese buyers routinely require CCIC pre-shipment inspection; Indian buyers require BIS-registered agency inspection.
LME-linked pricing for Candy
Candy is quoted at a small discount to the LME 3-month Copper Grade A settlement. Typical 2026 trading band is 92–96% of LME CIF Shanghai — tighter than Birch/Cliff (85–90%) reflecting higher purity and lower recovery cost, but slightly wider than Millberry (95–98%) because Candy is solid form rather than the drawable wire form refineries prefer. Written CIF/FOB quotes issued within 24 hours of RFQ, valid 48 hours subject to LME.
Documentation and export compliance
Every shipment includes commercial invoice, packing list, weighbridge tickets, container photos, bill of lading, EUR.1, and EU Annex VII waste-shipment movement document. Basel Convention compliant. Radiation-portal cleared. Destination-country pre-shipment inspection certificate provided (CCIC for China, BIS for India, TSE for Turkey). High-value cargo insurance arranged automatically for CIF terms.