Day: 16 June 2026

The German Steel Recycling and Disposal Association (BDSV) and the German Association of Metal Traders and Recyclers (VDM) have announced that they have signed a merger agreement, establishing the legal foundation for the creation of the Circular Metal Association (CMA).

The new organization will serve as the unified representative of Germany’s steel and metal recycling industry at national, European and international levels.

Merger expected to take effect in coming weeks

The merger will become effective once it is registered in the association register, a process that is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Until then, both organizations will continue operating under their existing structures.

Following registration, BDSV and VDM will cease to exist as independent legal entities, with all rights, obligations and memberships transferred to the CMA.

CMA to represent the full recycling value chain

The Circular Metal Association will represent the entire value chain of steel and metal recycling, including collection, processing, trading and supply to the metalworking industry. Its scope will also cover the trade of primary metals, ferroalloys and special metals.

According to the associations, the CMA aims to strengthen the sector’s representation before German policymakers as well as European institutions, including the European Parliament and the European Commission. The organization will also represent the industry within international bodies such as Recycling Europe and the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).

The European market for steel hot-rolled coil remained slow on Monday June 15, mainly due to uncertainty caused by the imminent imposition of a new safeguarding regime. Some demand appears only from buyers who need to restock before the start of the summer holiday period, while stocks are predominantly high, sources told Fastmarkets.

The market is affected by “uncertainty about Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), new quota, increasing energy costs due to [conflict between Iran and the US]; and we are close to summer holidays, so a big improvement is not likely before the summer,” one trader said.

In Northern Europe, offers of material scheduled for delivery in late July-September were heard within the range of €710-720 ($821.48-833.05) per tonne ex-works. Meanwhile, the workable level was estimated at €680-700 per tonne ex-works.

Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe was calculated at €692.50 ($801.24) per tonne on June 15, up by €7.29 per tonne from €685.21 per tonne on June 12.

The index was slightly up by €0.50 per tonne week on week and up by €8.75 per tonne month on month.

In Italy, offers varied within the range of €685-695 per tonne ex-works, with indications of tradable levels within the range of €680-685 per tonne ex-works. For large tonnages, the workable level was reported at €675 per tonne ex-works.

“There was some activity because some buyers wanted to restock before the start of summer holidays — in southern Europe it normally starts earlier than in Northern [Europe],” another trader said. “People want to have some stocks for the future because an increase in prices is possible. Mills are pushing prices up.”

Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy was calculated at €684.50 per tonne on June 15, down by €3.00 per tonne from €687.50 per tonne on June 12.

The index was up by €3.67 per tonne week on week and down by €0.33 per tonne month on month.