The Netherlands as a copper scrap export hub
The Netherlands sits at the centre of European copper scrap collection. Industrial off-cuts from Dutch, German and Belgian cable manufacturers, transformer dismantling yards, electrical fabricators and end-of-life vehicle recyclers consolidate at Rotterdam — Europe's largest seaport — for onward export. Port infrastructure, daily customs clearance, weekly direct sailings to every major Asian and Middle-Eastern destination, and a transparent EU regulatory environment make Dutch loading the lowest-friction route to overseas refiners. As a Dutch B.V. registered with the KvK we trade entirely under EU law and Basel Convention rules.
Millberry specifications honoured on every shipment
Our Millberry — ISRI Circular code 'Barley' — is bare bright uncoated copper wire, 1/16 inch and over, 99.95% Cu minimum, free of burnt wire that is brittle, free of hair wire, free of insulation, free of attachments and free of plating beyond tolerance. Material is colour-graded against an ISRI master sample under daylight conditions and re-checked against an XRF gun before container release. Buyers receive a written specification clause on the contract; deviations beyond ISRI tolerance trigger an automatic price adjustment defined in the contract.
Copper wire scrap and Berry/Candy
Beyond Millberry we ship Berry/Candy — ISRI 'Berry' and 'Candy' — clean unalloyed copper wire below 1/16 inch, 99.0% Cu min, free of insulation and attachments. Berry/Candy is the second-tightest copper grade we offer and is preferred by brass-mill bar/rod producers that want low-oxide feedstock. We also load mixed copper wire chops from cable-stripping operations: 95–98% Cu, residual insulation under 2%, free of steel and aluminium. Each grade ships in its own container — never blended.
Copper recycling and preparation at the yard
Inbound copper is weighed on a calibrated 60-tonne weighbridge, photographed lot-by-lot and visually graded. Wire is mechanically stripped where insulation is present. Heavy copper solids are sorted to remove plating, tinning and attachments beyond tolerance. Material is then either bundled loose for direct container loading or pressed into 250–500 kg bales for buyers receiving cargo by crane. Yard segregation is strict: Millberry never touches Berry, Berry never touches Birch — colour-coded floor zones and dedicated forklifts prevent cross-contamination.
Export procedures from Rotterdam
Every container loads at our Rotterdam-area yard with direct gate access to ECT, APMT and RWG terminals. Loading is photographed in sequence, weight-verified on the calibrated bridge, and sealed with high-security bolt seals. Seal numbers print on the packing list and the bill of lading. Documentation includes commercial invoice, packing list, weight tickets, EUR.1 (where applicable), B/L, and the EU Annex VII waste-shipment movement document for non-OECD destinations. Documents are couriered or transmitted electronically to the buyer's bank under 30% TT advance plus 70% LC at sight by default.
Quality standards and inspection
We work routinely with SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek and CCIC for pre-shipment inspection. The inspector observes container stuffing, draws representative samples for XRF analysis, takes timestamped photographs, applies seals and issues the inspection certificate before bill-of-lading release. Indian buyers receive BIS-compliant documentation; Chinese buyers receive CCIC certification; Turkish buyers receive TSE-compliant paperwork. Buyers also receive a photo dossier of every container — interior shots, seal close-ups and weighbridge tickets — within 24 hours of loading.
LME-linked pricing and discount bands
Every copper offer is quoted as a discount to the LME 3-month Copper Grade A settlement, fixed at the time of contract. Indicative 2026 bands CIF Nhava Sheva: Millberry at 95–97% of LME; Berry at 93–95%; Birch at 90–92%; Cliff at 86–89%; insulated wire chops at 78–84% depending on recovery. Quotations are issued in writing within 24 hours of RFQ, valid for 48 hours subject to LME movement. The quotation shows the LME date used, the discount applied and the resulting USD per metric tonne.
Rotterdam logistics and sailing schedule
Weekly direct sailings cover Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chittagong, Port Klang, Ho Chi Minh, Busan, Shanghai, Tianjin, Mersin, Jebel Ali, Dar es Salaam, Mombasa and Houston. Typical transit: 14–18 days to Turkey, 18–22 days to West India, 22–26 days to Bangladesh, 26–32 days to East Asia, 28–35 days to East Africa, 18–22 days to the US Gulf. Booking lead time from contract signature to loaded vessel is 7–14 days subject to grade availability and inspection scheduling.
Order workflow for new buyers
RFQ specifying grade, tonnage, destination port and payment terms → written CIF or FOB quotation within 24 hours → signed sales contract → 30% TT advance → loading and third-party inspection within 7–14 days → 70% LC at sight or TT against scanned B/L → original documents released through the buyer's bank. First-time buyers receive sample photos, a yard video, and references from existing accounts in their region before the first container is loaded.
Who we contract with
Secondary copper refiners producing cathode and anode, brass mill bar/rod producers, copper rod and wire drawing plants, transformer manufacturers, and licensed scrap importers holding BIS, CCIC, MOEF, TSE or equivalent destination-country permits. We do not retail and we do not contract with unverified intermediaries. KYC requires company registration, import licence and a recent utility bill; turnaround is 24–48 hours.