Bangladesh Resumes Scrap Steel Purchases from South Korea

Time:2026-04-21

According to market sources, Bangladeshi steelmakers have recently resumed imports of deep-sea scrap from South Korea after a prolonged suspension, securing a new shipment during the week of April 20. Rising costs driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict have pushed overall scrap prices higher. In particular, following a sharp increase in Turkish purchases, U.S. West Coast scrap has largely lost its economic viability for most Bangladeshi mills. Consequently, local steelmakers are actively seeking supply sources with shorter shipping lead times to meet production needs. It is reported that a deal for approximately 20,000 tonnes of South Korean deep-sea scrap was struck last week, with an CIF price of USD 410–412 per tonne for HMS 1&2 (80:20) and USD 425–427 per tonne for high-quality HS scrap (CFR). Sources note that Bangladesh has not imported such large volumes of scrap from South Korea in the past two to three years.

According to market sources, Bangladeshi steel mills have recently resumed importing deep-sea scrap from South Korea after a prolonged suspension, securing a new shipment during the week of April 20. Rising costs driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict have pushed overall scrap prices higher. In particular, following a substantial increase in procurement from Turkey, U.S. West Coast scrap has largely lost its economic viability for most Bangladeshi mills. Consequently, local steelmakers are actively seeking supply sources with shorter shipping lead times to meet production needs.
According to reports, a deal for approximately 20,000 tonnes of South Korean deep-sea scrap was struck last week, with the CIF price for HMS 1&2 (80:20) at USD 410–412 per tonne and the CFR price for premium-grade HS scrap at USD 425–427 per tonne. Sources indicate that Bangladesh has not procured such large volumes of scrap from South Korea in the past two to three years.
According to statistical data, in 2025 Bangladesh imported 19,000 tonnes of scrap steel from South Korea, a year-on-year increase of 430%; in the first quarter of 2026, imports already reached 11,500 tonnes, up 265% from the same period last year. For the full year 2025, Bangladesh’s total imports of ferrous scrap amounted to 5.34 million tonnes, a year-on-year rise of 3.4%. In December alone, imports totaled 440,000 tonnes, with the main supplying countries being Japan (approximately 175,000 tonnes), the United States (60,100 tonnes), Australia (56,000 tonnes), New Zealand (31,100 tonnes), and Singapore (26,000 tonnes).

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