For India’s brass industry, and especially the mills and foundries in Jamnagar, 2026 has been a year of steadily rising raw material costs.
The price of brass Honey scrap Ex-Mumbai rose 10.78% in Q3 2026, and the quarterly average reached about USD 9,343/MT. This was the third double-digit increase in a row:
- Q1 2026: USD 7,696/MT (+18.08%)
- Q2 2026: USD 8,434/MT (+10.06%)
- Q3 2026: USD 9,343/MT (+10.78%)
Since Q1, Indian brass scrap has risen about 21%.
👉 Buying brass scrap for Jamnagar or other Indian mills? Book a free ChemAnalyst demo to see weekly prices and the Q4 outlook.
Why brass scrap prices matter
Brass scrap, especially Honey grade (clean mixed yellow brass), is the main raw material for India’s secondary brass industry. It is used to make:
- Plumbing fittings and sanitary fixtures
- Electrical parts such as terminals, connectors and switchgear
- Automotive parts
- Hardware and decorative items
India relies heavily on imported scrap. Changes in freight, customs rules and global copper prices therefore show up in Indian prices quickly.
Q3 2026 at a glance
🇮🇳 India (Honey, Ex-Mumbai): USD 9,343/MT, +10.78% vs Q2
🇺🇸 United States: about USD 6,890/MT spot, rising on strong mill demand
🇪🇺 Europe: slightly lower, with plenty of scrap and weak construction demand
India: what drove Q3
Supply constraints
- Import delays: Monsoon congestion at ports and late vessel arrivals reduced deliveries to scrap yards.
- EPR rules: The rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility rules and less informal collection reduced domestic scrap supply, making India more dependent on imports.
Higher costs
- Customs and shipping: Revised customs tariff values and Red Sea transit risks raised landed costs, insurance and freight.
- Processing costs: Higher industrial power tariffs and output expansion under the PLI scheme increased processing costs, so sellers held their prices.
Steady demand
- Festive restocking: Buyers restocked after Janmashtami ahead of the festive season.
- Jamnagar demand: Strong consumption in the Jamnagar cluster and steady orders for plumbing fittings kept mills buying, so there was little pressure to sell on the spot market.
What held prices back
- Volatile LME copper and cheaper import offers from Europe reduced international cost support and limited further increases in India.
United States: firm mill demand
In the US, brass scrap averaged about USD 6,890/MT in Q3, compared with about USD 6,745/MT (FOB) in Q2. Strong demand from domestic mills and low dealer stocks in the Midwest pushed the index up. Higher labor and environmental compliance costs supported sellers’ prices. The outlook points to further increases into Q4, driven by infrastructure demand.
Europe: plenty of scrap
Europe moved the other way, with prices edging down. German and Benelux yards had plenty of scrap, more material came in from dismantling yards, and weak construction in Southern Europe reduced mill buying. High energy and compliance costs kept sellers from cutting prices sharply.
What this means for Indian buyers
1. Domestic scrap is getting scarcer. EPR rules and less informal collection are reducing local supply. This is a long-term change, not a seasonal one.
2. Europe may be cheaper. With European prices softening and offers to India easing, importing from Europe may be worth considering, after accounting for freight, insurance and Red Sea risk.
3. Landed costs matter more than the base price. Customs value revisions, freight, insurance and port delays can add more to the cost than the scrap price itself.
4. Plan around the festive season. Festive restocking adds demand at the same time as monsoon disruption reduces supply. Planning purchases earlier can help avoid paying peak prices.
Questions procurement teams should be asking now
- Have we secured enough scrap for production after the festive season?
- How do European Honey-grade offers compare with Gulf and US scrap on a landed basis?
- How will EPR rules affect our domestic scrap supply over the next year?
- Should we fix Q4 volumes now, or wait for LME copper to settle?
How ChemAnalyst helps
ChemAnalyst tracks prices, market news and supply and demand for more than 1,000 commodities, including brass scrap and copper. Our analysts in Houston, Cologne and New Delhi, supported by ground teams at over 50 major trading ports, provide:
- ✅ Weekly price updates for India, the US and Europe
- ✅ Explanations of why prices moved, not just the numbers
- ✅ Price forecasts to help you time purchases
- ✅ Supply risk tracking to flag disruptions early
Plan your Q4 purchases: book a free demo
In a short, free demo, we will show you weekly brass scrap prices for India, how they compare with Europe and the US, and the Q4 outlook. No commitment is required.
📊 Read the full brass scrap price overview: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/brass-scrap-3062
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