What is stainless steel scrap and how is it classified?
Stainless steel is iron alloyed with chromium (≥ 10.5%) for corrosion resistance, usually with nickel and often with molybdenum, manganese and other alloying elements. The three big families the scrap trade cares about: austenitic 300-series (chromium-nickel, non-magnetic, most common — 304, 316, 321, 347), ferritic 400-series (chromium-only, magnetic, cheaper — 409, 430, 434), and martensitic 400-series (high-carbon hardenable — 410, 420). Global trade classifies stainless scrap under HS code 7204.21 (alloy steel waste, stainless). ISRI grade aliases are less standardised for stainless than for copper and aluminum — most contracts write explicit chemistry envelopes (Cr, Ni, Mo minimums and Cu, C, S maximums). ISRI does define codes for common cuts: HS-1 for 304 solids, HS-2 for 316 solids, mixed 18-8 (18% Cr / 8% Ni austenitic), Sheath for stainless-clad copper cable, Cliff for mixed light stainless.
304 stainless — the workhorse austenitic grade
304 stainless (AISI 304, EN 1.4301) is the most widely produced stainless family — nominal Cr 18% / Ni 8% / balance Fe. 304L is the low-carbon variant (C ≤ 0.03% vs standard C ≤ 0.08%) preferred for welded fabrications because the lower carbon prevents chromium-carbide precipitation at grain boundaries. Nautica's 304 solid contract specifies: Cr 17.5–20.0%, Ni 8.0–10.5%, Cu ≤ 0.75%, Mo ≤ 0.60%, C ≤ 0.08%, free of magnetic material (a magnet check on inbound confirms austenitic phase), free of 316 contamination. Physical form is heavy solids — sheet cut-offs, tube ends, plate cropping, structural offcuts — in 20GP at 24–26 MT net. Prices anchor to LME Nickel cash × 0.08 × Ni-recovery discount, with the balance of value in the chromium and iron contribution. See /stainless-steel-304-scrap for the full spec.
316 stainless — the molybdenum-alloyed premium grade
316 stainless (AISI 316, EN 1.4401) adds molybdenum to 304 chemistry — nominal Cr 17% / Ni 10% / Mo 2% / balance Fe — for improved pitting resistance in chloride environments (marine, chemical process, food and pharmaceutical equipment). 316L is the low-carbon variant. Because molybdenum trades at a substantial premium to nickel and molybdenum contamination shifts downstream stainless chemistry materially, 316 is chemistry-tested with special care — every inbound truck receives full ICP-OES chemistry rather than just XRF composite. Nautica's 316 contract specifies: Cr 16.0–18.0%, Ni 10.0–14.0%, Mo 2.0–3.0%, Cu ≤ 0.75%, C ≤ 0.08%, free of 304 contamination. Prices anchor to LME Nickel × Ni-percentage + molybdenum premium (typically USD 20–35/kg Mo) + Cr contribution. See /stainless-steel-316-scrap for the full spec.
18-8 mixed austenitic and the general 300-series grades
18-8 (ISRI 18-8) is mixed austenitic stainless — chemistry nominally Cr 18% / Ni 8% — combining 304 and other 18-8-family stock (301, 302, 305) without the tight Mo control of 316. It ships as a lower-priced feed for stainless mills that can chemistry-adjust in the melt. Contract chemistry: Cr 16–20%, Ni 6–10%, Mo ≤ 0.75%, free of ferritic 400-series contamination. Discount to 304 solids typically 5–8%. Buyers picking 18-8 over pure 304 are secondary stainless smelters producing lower-spec grades where exact Ni is less critical than avoiding molybdenum. Not every 300-series grade fits 18-8: 321 (titanium-stabilised) and 347 (niobium-stabilised) are traded as specialty grades against LME Nickel plus explicit stabiliser premium.
400-series ferritic and martensitic stainless
400-series stainless (chromium-only, no nickel) trades at a large discount to austenitic 300-series because it lacks the LME-nickel value. Ferritic 409 and 430 are the volume grades — 409 (Cr 11%) for automotive exhaust systems, 430 (Cr 17%) for appliance sheet. Martensitic 410 and 420 are hardenable high-carbon variants for knives, cutlery, valve internals. 400-series contracts specify Cr envelope only, ship in 20GP at 25–27 MT net (denser packing than austenitic), and price against a flat USD/tonne differential over ferrous HMS rather than against LME Nickel. Buyers are typically secondary stainless mills producing ferritic sheet and specialty forgings.
Stainless turnings, swarf and shredded
Stainless machining swarf (turnings, borings, chips) is a substantial trade in its own right — swarf from screw-machine and CNC operations on 300-series and 400-series stainless, in 20GP drummed or briquetted. Chemistry follows the parent grade family (304 turnings, 316 turnings, mixed austenitic turnings). Coolant/cutting oil is drained under EU regulation before shipment. Recovery in the downstream melt is 92–95% of parent-grade value because of surface oxidation. Shredded stainless (from downstream sink-float sorting of Zurik or dedicated stainless shredder runs) trades separately as a lower-density mixed feed.
How stainless is priced — LME Nickel plus Mo premium plus Cr contribution
Stainless scrap pricing is the most complex in the non-ferrous complex because value is split across three distinct alloying elements. The dominant driver is LME Nickel cash settlement — for 304 (Ni 8%) roughly Ni × 0.08 × recovery discount = 60–70% of contract value. Molybdenum for 316 adds a separate premium tracked against Platts Molybdic Oxide or similar molybdenum indices, typically USD 20–35/kg Mo. Chromium is not exchange-traded and its contribution is a flat differential over ferrous scrap (Cr adds USD 300–500/tonne to a stainless container above HMS baseline). Every Nautica stainless quotation shows LME Nickel reference, Mo premium calculation, and Cr differential separately so the buyer sees exactly how contract price is built.
Chemistry testing — why stainless needs more than XRF
Where copper and aluminum grades are adequately verified by XRF composite sampling, stainless demands more rigorous chemistry because Mo content of 316 versus 304 shifts price 40–60%. Nautica's stainless intake protocol: every inbound truck receives XRF chemistry on 5-point sampling to confirm grade family; every 316 container receives full ICP-OES chemistry on a composite pre-shipment sample verified at SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek Rotterdam laboratory before B/L release. Buyers may nominate additional destination-lab verification on arrival at cost. Arbitration samples are retained sealed for 12 months (longer than the 6-month standard for other grades) reflecting stainless chemistry-dispute risk.
Container loading for stainless
Stainless is dense (7.9 t/m³ solid) and always loads 20GP for road-legal payload. Target net weights: 304 solids 24–26 MT, 316 solids 24–26 MT, 18-8 mixed 24–26 MT, 400-series 25–27 MT (denser packing), turnings drummed 20–22 MT, turnings briquetted 24–26 MT. Because 316 unit value is high (a 25 MT container of 316L solids at LME Nickel 18,000/tonne + Mo premium exceeds USD 90,000), security controls match copper and brass: ISO/PAS 17712 bolt seals, full photographic sequence, dual-witness weighbridge tickets, CCTV archive. Chemistry certificate travels with the container in the documentation pack.
Third-party inspection and destination-country certification
Every stainless container is inspection-ready at our Rotterdam yard. SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek and CCIC handle standard pre-shipment inspection; SGS and BV Rotterdam labs handle ICP-OES chemistry for 316 and specialty grades. India-bound stainless requires BIS-1 since 2020; China-bound requires CCIC per AQSIQ/GACC and additional GB/T 39733-2020 compliance for reclaimed stainless raw materials; Turkey requires TSE; Japan (a significant stainless-scrap importer) requires JIS-compliant chemistry certification which SGS/BV Rotterdam can issue.
EU regulatory framework for stainless scrap
Stainless steel scrap is non-hazardous green-listed under EU Regulation (EC) 1013/2006 Annex III (Basel B1010). Non-OECD-destination shipments require Annex VII — Nautica issues Annex VII in the buyer's name for every non-OECD stainless shipment. Preferential origin (EUR.1) applies to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa. Non-preferential CoO issues through Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce for India, China, USA, UAE. Nickel content triggers no special regulatory step because nickel remains below hazardous-waste threshold as an alloying element in solid stainless. Cadmium and lead impurities in stainless are rare and monitored on inbound.
End-use industries — who buys European stainless scrap
Stainless steel mills in India (Jindal Stainless, Salem Steel), Turkey (Kroman), China (Tsingshan, Baosteel) and Indonesia (Tsingshan Morowali) buy 304 and 316 solids directly for electric-arc-furnace stainless melting. Specialty-alloy foundries buy 316 and specialty grades for high-pressure and high-temperature castings. Secondary stainless smelters take 18-8 mixed and 400-series for lower-spec sheet and billet. Cutlery manufacturers buy 400-series martensitic. The largest single-buyer stainless flow from Rotterdam today is to Indonesia (Tsingshan and IMIP integrated stainless complex) which imports several hundred thousand tonnes of stainless scrap annually.
European sourcing map for stainless
Nautica sources stainless from EU industrial arisings — the largest single source is EU stainless fabricators and mills (Aperam, Outokumpu, Acerinox subsidiaries) selling their own cropping and rejected coil. Second source: EU food-and-beverage equipment dismantlers (brewery tanks, dairy vessels, pharmaceutical process equipment) providing 304 and 316 vessel scrap. Third: EU marine and chemical-plant dismantlers providing 316 and specialty grades. Fourth: EU screw-machine and CNC-shop swarf collectors providing 304 and 316 turnings. Every supplier is licensed and traceable to the arising site.
Payment terms and value-at-risk for stainless
Stainless containers span a wide value range — a 25 MT 400-series container may value USD 30–40K, while a 25 MT 316L solid container may exceed USD 90K. Payment discipline scales: standard 30% TT advance + 70% at sight for 304 and lower; 100% LC at sight strongly preferred for 316 and specialty grades. Chemistry disputes at destination are the primary stainless-specific risk — the pre-shipment ICP-OES certificate is contractual and arbitration samples are retained 12 months. Marine cargo insurance Institute Cargo Clauses (A) at 110% CIF invoice value; high-value 316 containers often carry supplementary buyer's own marine cover.
Downloadable specifications and technical data sheets
Every stainless grade Nautica exports has a dedicated technical product page with the ISRI-equivalent specification, chemistry envelope, physical form, packaging, HS code, LME Nickel + Mo premium + Cr differential pricing formula and destination-country compliance. The grade pages linked in the sidebar are the canonical downloadable specification — printable, buyer-shareable and always the current contract-binding version. Composite TDS packs and PDF versions for multi-grade contracts available via /contact.
Side-by-side stainless grade comparison — 304 vs 316 vs 18-8 vs 321 vs 347 vs 400-series vs Duplex
Stainless has more traded grades than copper or brass because chemistry differences compound sharply into downstream mill economics. 304/304L (Cr 18 / Ni 8, C ≤ 0.08/0.03%) is the volume workhorse — architectural sheet, food equipment, general fabrication; prices roughly USD 1,600–1,900/t CIF depending on LME Nickel. 316/316L (Cr 17 / Ni 10 / Mo 2) adds molybdenum for chloride corrosion resistance — marine and chemical equipment; prices USD 2,700–3,300/t, a 60–90% premium over 304 driven by Mo. 18-8 mixed (Cr 16–20 / Ni 6–10) is broader chemistry allowed, price USD 1,450–1,750/t (5–8% below 304). 321 (Cr 18 / Ni 10 / Ti stabilised) is a specialty for high-temperature service — price = 304 + titanium premium USD 200–350/t. 347 (Cr 18 / Ni 10 / Nb stabilised) is high-temperature also — price = 304 + niobium premium USD 300–500/t. 400-series ferritic (409/430, Cr-only) trades USD 550–800/t, purely on chromium contribution plus HMS baseline. 400-series martensitic (410/420) trades USD 700–950/t on hardenable-alloy premium. Duplex 2205 (Cr 22 / Ni 5 / Mo 3 / N 0.15) and 2507 (Cr 25 / Ni 7 / Mo 4 / N 0.30) trade USD 2,900–3,800/t on higher chromium and nitrogen contribution. Every grade ships against its own chemistry-verified contract.
Common impurities in stainless scrap and the quality standards that police them
The five contaminants that most often trigger stainless rejection are copper (from motor windings, brass fittings, copper-clad wire embedded in mixed loads — copper caps typically ≤ 0.75% for wrought grades), lead (from historical soldering — cap ≤ 0.10% for most grades), sulphur (from free-cutting grades contaminating standard grades — cap ≤ 0.030% for weldable grades), phosphorus (residual from base steel — cap ≤ 0.045%) and 400-series ferritic contamination in a supposed 300-series load (detected by magnet check). Standards: ISRI codes provide the trading names. EN 10088-2 and EN 10088-3 set European stainless flat-product and long-product chemistry. ASTM A240 covers North American stainless sheet, plate and strip. JIS G 4304 / G 4305 cover Japanese stainless sheet and hot-rolled strip. GB/T 39733-2020 governs Chinese reclaimed stainless raw material imports. Nautica's stainless intake protocol: XRF chemistry on 5-point sampling of every truck (Mo is the marker for 316 vs 304, Ni is the marker for 300-series vs 400-series), magnet check for austenitic phase confirmation, oil-drain confirmation for turnings, ICP-OES composite for every 316 and specialty container.
Packaging and bale specifications for every stainless grade
304 solids: loose stow in 20GP at 24–26 MT with 1.4 mm plywood door bulkhead. 316 solids: identical loading protocol with additional container-interior photography given the higher value at risk. 18-8 mixed: loose stow at 24–26 MT. 400-series (denser packing on smaller pieces): loose stow at 25–27 MT. 304 turnings: 300 kg mild-steel drums stacked 60–70 per 20GP at 20–22 MT net, oil-drained per EU regulation. 316 turnings: identical drummed protocol with lot-level chemistry tracking, or hydraulically briquetted 5 kg pucks in 1 t supersacks at 24–26 MT with better melt recovery than loose drums. Specialty grades (Duplex, 321, 347, Inconel/Monel/Hastelloy): dedicated container per grade, no mixing, ICP-OES certificate travels with the pack, every piece stencilled with lot number for downstream traceability. Container-interior photograph pack at empty/quarter/half/three-quarter/full/door-closed-with-seal for every container. Cargo securing per CTU Code (2014 IMO/ILO/UNECE).
Third-party inspection in detail — SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, CCIC scope for stainless
Stainless inspection is chemistry-critical and Nautica's Rotterdam yard is set up for full ICP-OES workflow. SGS Rotterdam is the volume default — grade verification, weight verification, XRF 5-point composite, seal verification, Certificate of Weight/Quality/Sampling. For 316 and specialty grades SGS Rotterdam Botlek laboratory provides ICP-OES melt-sample assay with turnaround 3–5 working days. Bureau Veritas Rotterdam covers the same scope with BV's strength in destination-country certification — BV is BIS-approved for India-bound consignments, holds AQSIQ credentials for China, is TSE-recognised for Turkey and holds SUCOFINDO reciprocity for Indonesia (the largest single-country stainless-scrap destination). Intertek Rotterdam is the chemistry-critical alternative with its own Botlek laboratory. CCIC handles China-bound compliance under GB/T 39733-2020. For Japan-bound cargoes, SGS and BV Rotterdam issue JIS G 4304 / G 4305 chemistry certificates on request (turnaround 3–5 working days, cost included in CIF when nominated at contract stage). Standard SGS/BV/Intertek fees run USD 400–800 per container for stainless (higher than copper because ICP-OES adds cost); CCIC USD 500–900.
Export documentation checklist for every stainless shipment
Every Nautica stainless container ships with the following pack: (1) Commercial invoice showing LME Nickel date, Mo premium calculation, Cr differential and final CIF USD/tonne; (2) Packing list itemising bundles/drums, gross/tare/net, grade and seal number; (3) Bill of lading; (4) Certificate of origin (non-preferential from Rotterdam Chamber, or EUR.1 preferential for Turkey/Egypt/Morocco/South Africa); (5) Annex VII movement document under EU 1013/2006 in the buyer's name for every non-OECD destination; (6) Pre-shipment inspection certificate from SGS/BV/Intertek/CCIC; (7) Composite XRF chemistry summary; (8) ICP-OES chemistry certificate for 316 and specialty grades; (9) Container-interior photograph pack; (10) Weighbridge tickets; (11) High-security ISO/PAS 17712 bolt seal confirmation; (12) BIS-1 for India, CCIC for China, TSE for Turkey, SUCOFINDO for Indonesia, JIS chemistry certificate for Japan where nominated; (13) Arbitration sample retention letter (12 months for stainless vs 6 for other grades). Scan-out within 24 hours of loading; couriered originals within 3 working days.
Logistics from Rotterdam — transit times to India, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey, the Middle East
Weekly direct or one-transhipment sailings from Rotterdam to every stainless-buying destination. Rotterdam–Nhava Sheva 18–22 days on Maersk / MSC / CMA CGM / ONE. Rotterdam–Mundra 20–24 days. Rotterdam–Chennai 21–25 days. Rotterdam–Shanghai 30–34 days. Rotterdam–Ningbo 30–34 days. Rotterdam–Xingang 32–38 days. Rotterdam–Busan 32–36 days (South Korean stainless mills at Pohang and Changwon). Rotterdam–Ho Chi Minh City 28–33 days. Rotterdam–Haiphong 30–35 days. Rotterdam–Karachi 18–22 days. Rotterdam–Port Qasim 19–23 days. Rotterdam–Mersin 14–18 days for Turkish stainless service centres. Rotterdam–Aliaga 12–16 days for Kroman Çelik and Turkish stainless mills. Rotterdam–Jebel Ali 20–24 days. Rotterdam–Sohar 22–26 days. Rotterdam–Dammam 22–26 days. Rotterdam–Alexandria 12–16 days. Rotterdam–Jakarta 30–35 days for Tsingshan Morowali IMIP and Weda Bay integrated stainless complexes — the single-largest destination flow in 2026. Rotterdam–Yokohama 40–45 days for Japanese stainless mills on JIS certification. See /export-process-shipping-logistics and /rotterdam-port-operations for full sailing calendars and current freight cost basis.
LME pricing factors specific to stainless — nickel dominates, molybdenum and chromium orbit
Stainless has the most complex price build in the non-ferrous complex because value is split across three separately-priced elements. LME Nickel cash settlement is the dominant driver — a 1% Ni move at USD 18,000/t nickel shifts a 304 (Ni 8%) container by roughly USD 14/t and a 316 (Ni 10%) container by roughly USD 18/t. LME Nickel itself responds to: Indonesian and Filipino mine supply (Indonesia banned ore export in 2020, transforming nickel flows), Chinese and Indonesian stainless mill demand (Tsingshan alone is 15%+ of global nickel consumption), battery-nickel demand for EV cathodes (a growing but still smaller share), and nickel pig iron (NPI) capacity in Indonesia which competes directly with class-1 refined nickel. Molybdenum premium tracks Platts Molybdic Oxide — USD 20–35/kg through 2026 driven by copper mining (moly is a by-product of copper mining), Chinese special-steel demand and specialty-alloy demand. Chromium contribution is a flat USD 300–500/t differential over ferrous HMS baseline — chromium is not exchange-traded but South African ferrochrome production capacity and Chinese stainless mill demand set the floor. Nautica quotations always break down all three components (LME Nickel × Ni%, Mo premium × Mo%, Cr differential) so the buyer sees exactly where value sits.
China, South Korea and India — the three biggest stainless buyer markets in detail
The three largest Rotterdam-loaded stainless destinations in 2026 are Indonesia (Tsingshan Morowali IMIP and Weda Bay integrated stainless complexes — several hundred thousand tonnes annually of 304, 316 and 18-8 mixed), China (Baosteel, Tsingshan mainland facilities, Taiyuan Iron & Steel; CCIC pre-shipment inspection under GB/T 39733-2020 mandatory) and India (Jindal Stainless Hisar and Jajpur, Salem Steel, Viraj Profiles; BIS-1 pre-shipment mandatory since 2020, Indian IEC and consignee GST number on invoice for GST reverse-charge). South Korea takes smaller but stable volumes — POSCO Stainless at Pohang, KOS at Changwon, specialty forging mills — mostly 304 and 316 solids on monthly LME-Nickel-average pricing, 100% LC at sight against copy documents, KOTITI or SGS pre-shipment inspection, discharge at Busan or Pohang. Japan (Nippon Steel Stainless, Nisshin Steel) takes premium 304, 316 and specialty grades on JIS chemistry certification issued by SGS/BV Rotterdam — smaller volumes but the tightest chemistry discipline in the trade. Nautica ships to all four markets weekly.