1. Where the Metal Moves
Aluminium scrap flows predominantly from Europe and North America into Asian secondary smelters — South Korea, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Copper scrap flows into Indian and Chinese refineries (Birch/Cliff and Berry/Candy grades) and into European refineries (Millberry). Ferrous scrap moves on bulk vessels from Northern Europe and the US East Coast into Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan.
Brass scrap is the most concentrated trade: Indian ingot makers in Jamnagar absorb the majority of European Honey, Pale and Ocean brass exports, with smaller volumes flowing into Vietnamese and Thai foundries.
2. Why Rotterdam Dominates European Loading
Rotterdam handled over 14 million TEU in 2025 and offers daily container sailings to every major destination port worldwide. For scrap exporters, the practical advantages are weekly direct calls to Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Haiphong, Mersin, Jebel Ali and Houston; a deep waterfront for bulk vessel loading; and an ecosystem of certified collection yards, inspection agencies, surveyors and forwarders inside a 100 km radius.
Antwerp, Hamburg and Bremen function as alternative loading ports for specific routes — Antwerp for West Africa, Hamburg for North China — but Rotterdam carries the dominant share of EU non-ferrous scrap exports.
3. The Basel Convention
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal governs international waste shipment. Scrap metal is generally listed under Annex IX (the 'Green List') and therefore moves under simplified controls — but the framework requires consent procedures for any country that has not classified the receiving facility as compliant.
Importers in countries that have not ratified the Basel Ban Amendment (still a minority) need additional documentation. Nautica Metal Scrap B.V. confirms Basel status at the quotation stage so the document pack is correct before booking.
4. EU Regulation 1013/2006
Within the European Union, EU Regulation 1013/2006 implements Basel. Green-listed non-hazardous scrap (most of what is exported under this site) moves under an Annex VII movement document signed by the exporter and consignee. Material that is mixed, hazardous-contaminated or destined for a non-OECD country may require prior written consent.
Compliance is enforced at the port of departure by ILT (the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate). Every Nautica Metal Scrap B.V. shipment is filed against ILT requirements before the container is sealed.
5. Country-Specific Import Controls
India: BIS pre-shipment registration, plus PSIC (Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate) from a DGFT-approved agency. China: GACC (General Administration of Customs of China) approved supplier list and CIQ inspection. Saudi Arabia: SASO certificate. Kenya: KEBS PVoC. Vietnam: import permit issued by MONRE for the consignee.
These are the layers that turn a 'shipping a container' problem into a compliance problem. A buyer working with an experienced European exporter inherits this compliance work; a buyer working with a casual supplier inherits the risk.
6. Outlook: 2026 and the Circular Economy
Demand for secondary raw materials continues to outpace supply. Smelters in India and Southeast Asia are commissioning new low-carbon furnaces specifically designed to run on a higher share of scrap input; European producers are facing internal CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) pressure that increases the value of recycled metal in their own supply.
The structural trend favours organised European exporters who can offer LME-linked pricing, documented inspection, full Basel/1013 compliance and reliable Rotterdam loading. Casual cross-border trade is shrinking as customs authorities tighten enforcement; long-term buyer-supplier partnerships are growing.