The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) publishes the global vocabulary for non-ferrous and ferrous scrap. Every Nautica contract names an ISRI code in the specification clause. This guide explains the codes Nautica trades and the contractual tolerance language attached to each.
Rotterdam Loading
SGS Inspection
MOQ 1× 20GP
CIF / FOB Global
ISRI Specifications Circular standardises trade names and minimum quality clauses for over 200 scrap grades. A contract that says 'ISRI Barley' or 'ISRI Talc' carries a specific, enforceable quality definition that buyer and seller, in any country, can reference identically. ISRI codes are the lingua franca of global scrap trade and a prerequisite for clean pre-shipment inspection, LC documentation and any quality dispute resolution.
Barley — bare bright copper wire 99.95% Cu, ≥1/16 inch, free of burnt brittle wire and tinned/lacquered material. Berry — clean unalloyed copper wire under 1/16 inch. Candy — Berry equivalent for No.1 clippings. Birch — No.1 heavy copper 96% Cu. Cliff — No.2 mixed copper 94% Cu. Dream — heavy insulated copper wire. Druid — No.2 insulated copper wire mixed insulation. Each Nautica copper contract names the code verbatim.
Talc — old aluminium can scrap, baled to minimum 14 lbs/cu ft, from used beverage cans only. Taldon — loose UBC. Taint — mixed low-copper clean aluminium, 1% Cu max. Tabor — same family, 3% Cu max. Tense — clean mixed old aluminium. Troma — clean aluminium wheels free of valves, weights, plastic. Tata/Tutu — aluminium extrusion 6063 family. Telic — aluminium turnings. Tutu — clean 6063 extrusion off-cuts.
Stainless 18-8 — minimum 7% Ni and 16% Cr (industry term: 304). 18-10-2 Mo — adds 2% Mo (industry term: 316). Stainless Turnings 18-8 / 18-10-2 Mo — dry oil-free machining turnings. Stainless Solids 309/310/321/410 — specialty grades from European mill arisings, traded under named chemistry rather than a generic code.
ISRI 200/201 — HMS No.1 heavy melting steel ≥¼ inch thick, dimensions ≤60×24 inch. ISRI 205/206 — HMS No.2 ≥⅛ inch, includes auto body. ISRI 211 — Shredded steel, magnetic, 70%+ density. ISRI 230 (P&S) — Plate and Structural ≥12 mm, premium grade. The global benchmark blend is 'HMS 1&2 80:20' — 80% HMS 1 + 20% HMS 2 by weight.
Honey — clean yellow brass solids, free of nickel/iron. Ocean — yellow brass turnings. Pales — clean brass shells, no primers. Lake — brass pipe, plumbing fixtures. Each brass Nautica contract names the ISRI code and adds a tolerance clause on copper-zinc ratio and lead content.
Lead: Rains (clean lead), Racks (battery plates). Zinc: Saves (clean zinc die-cast), Scope (galvanised zinc dross). Nickel: pure nickel scrap typically traded by chemistry rather than ISRI code because of the small number of specialised buyers.
ISRI codes define minimum quality but most contracts add destination-specific tolerance clauses: maximum moisture, oil, fines percentage, foreign attachment limits, and recovery test methodology for insulated wire and dross. Nautica contracts always include both the ISRI clause and the bespoke tolerance language — so the buyer's discharge-port inspection has a clear test to apply.
ISRI codes anchor the grade; LME 3M anchors the price. Discount = LME 3M minus a grade-specific band. For copper: Barley −$250–$450, Berry −$350–$550, Birch −$500–$700, Cliff −$600–$800. For aluminium: Talc UBC −$250–$450, Tata/Tutu 6063 −$300–$500, Troma −$300–$500, Telic turnings −$500–$900.
Any time you request a quote from Nautica or any supplier, reference the ISRI code in your RFQ. This eliminates 90% of specification disputes before the contract is signed. Nautica is happy to walk new buyers through the ISRI vocabulary on a 30-minute call — send a contact request and we will schedule.
Primary loading from Rotterdam, Antwerp. Weekly container sailings to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
Container loading at Rotterdam follows the procedures in our European scrap export guide and the inspection regime in our scrap metal inspection guide. Destination-specific compliance is covered in our pages for scrap metal supplier for India, scrap metal supplier for Turkey, scrap metal supplier for South Korea, scrap metal supplier for Pakistan, scrap metal supplier for Vietnam and scrap metal supplier for the UAE.
Buyers also reference our scrap metal exporter in the Netherlands hub, our published export documentation workflow, container loading process, third-party inspection services and quality control procedures pages, and the dedicated export procedure FAQ and shipping & logistics FAQ FAQs before booking vessels.
Flagship cargo flows include our European copper scrap supplier, our UBC scrap supplier in the Netherlands and our HMS scrap exporter, all priced through the LME pricing center.
Emerging destinations for our Rotterdam cargo include the scrap metal supplier for Malaysia, scrap metal supplier for Saudi Arabia, scrap metal supplier for Morocco, scrap metal supplier for Egypt and scrap metal supplier for South Africa desks, each with dedicated port-transit, LC and pre-shipment inspection notes.
Send your quantity, destination port and Incoterm. We reply with a CIF/FOB offer, full specification sheet and export documentation list.
Contact our sales team for competitive pricing, bulk orders, and customized solutions.MOQ: 25 MT | Monthly Capacity: 20,000 MT