Market literacy · editorial draft

A national scrap index is not your yard price

Use monthly direction without confusing an index with a cash bid.

What the number measures

BLS publishes producer price indexes for material recyclers. FRED labels ferrous scrap PCU4299304299301 and nonferrous scrap PCU4299304299302 as monthly, not-seasonally-adjusted series with December 1986 equal to 100. The unit is an index, not dollars per pound or ton. An index of 500 does not mean a $500 settlement.

Use a like-for-like comparison

A month-over-month change compares the latest index with the immediately previous month: latest divided by previous, minus one. Compare a series with itself. Do not compare the absolute index levels of ferrous and nonferrous scrap to infer relative metal prices. Preliminary observations can change; retain the retrieval date.

What stays outside the index

Grade, contamination, location, load size, recovery, freight and contract terms are specific to an offer. This briefing will show broad context and transparent arithmetic rather than claim to supply grade-specific daily quotes. Confirm all purchase and sale terms directly with your counterparty.

Sources, checked November 11, 2026 (MT)

General educational material. Verify contract terms and source dates. Not legal, safety, tax or investment advice.