Playbook: 2 live scrap corridors — UBC to India, Millberry to Turkey

Today's opportunity set

Two corridors are live and costed on the platform as of 22 June 2026. Both carry landed-cost signals and verified counterparty routing. Margins are indicative and net of all freight, duty, inspection, and finance costs.

• Aluminium Scrap (UBC): Germany → India | Net margin 12.8% (~$260/MT) | Landed cost ~$2,040/MT | Confidence 0.78 | Class: high_priority
• Copper Scrap (Millberry): Poland → Turkey | Net margin 5.0% (~$425/MT) | Landed cost ~$8,575/MT | Confidence 0.72 | Class: indicative

How it plays out: UBC Germany to India

The UBC corridor carries the strongest margin signal today. Here is how a user would work it on ArbiTrade.

Step 1: Spot and sanity-check the signal. You log into ArbiTrade, filter for high-priority scrap corridors, and see UBC Germany-to-India flagged with a 12.8% net margin. The platform shows landed cost of ~$2,040/MT, inclusive of: source-side collection and grading in Germany, ocean freight (20-foot container), Indian port handling, duty at 5%, and inspection fees. You cross-check this against your own landed-cost model—it passes.

Step 2: Size and structure an RFQ. A typical 20-foot container holds ~18 MT of loose UBC. At $2,040/MT landed, your all-in cost is ~$36,720 per container. The indicative spread of $260/MT translates to ~$4,680 gross margin per container, before your own overhead and working-capital cost. You decide to structure an RFQ for 3 containers (54 MT) to test the market.

Step 3: Route to verified counterparties. ArbiTrade's routing engine surfaces three verified scrap aggregators in Germany and four licensed recyclers in India. You build an RFQ in the platform specifying: 54 MT UBC, 98%+ purity, standard moisture, 20-foot containers, CIF Nhava Sheva, payment 30 days post-arrival. The platform routes it to your shortlist.

Step 4: Negotiate and validate. Two German suppliers respond within 4 hours with firm pricing at $1,980/MT ex-works. One Indian recycler counters at $2,245/MT CIF. You negotiate freight with a verified NVOCC; they quote $420/container. You recalc: $1,980 + ($420 ÷ 18) + duty + inspection = ~$2,055/MT landed. Margin compresses to ~$190/MT, still 9.2% net. You accept.

Step 5: Advance to close. You issue a purchase order through ArbiTrade's document flow, nominate your trade-finance provider for a pre-shipment facility, and confirm vessel nomination. ArbiTrade logs the trade and triggers counterparty compliance checks. You have 45 days to close.

What could break it

• Duty or inspection surge: Indian customs occasionally tightens UBC purity specs or adds anti-dumping inspection. A 2% duty increase erodes margin by ~$40/MT.
• Freight spike: Congestion at Hamburg or Nhava Sheva can add $50–100/container to your cost. Monitor vessel schedules weekly.
• FX move: EUR/INR weakens 3% in your window? Your rupee-denominated selling price falls by ~$60/MT in dollar terms.
• Spec drift: Your German supplier ships UBC with 1.5% moisture instead of 0.8%; Indian buyer docks 1.5% off final price. Margin gone.

The Millberry corridor: a shorter note

Poland-to-Turkey copper millberry shows 5.0% net margin (~$425/MT). The signal is solid but tighter. The same workflow applies: spot, sanity-check, size (typically 20–24 MT per container), route to verified Polish traders and Turkish foundries, negotiate, and close. Landed cost is ~$8,575/MT; a 20 MT container carries ~$171,500 all-in cost and ~$8,500 gross margin. Execution risk is similar—watch FX (EUR/TRY), duty changes, and spec.

Next steps on ArbiTrade

Both corridors are live for RFQ today. Log in, run a landed-cost sanity check against your own model, size a pilot cargo, and route. The platform will surface counterparty credentials, compliance status, and prior-trade history. Execution is your responsibility; ArbiTrade coordinates routing and documents only.

See it on the platform

ArbiTrade costs every corridor net of freight, duties, inspection, and FX, then routes structured RFQs to verified counterparties. Create a free account to explore live corridors and dispatch your first RFQ.

ArbiTrade provides market intelligence and coordination only. It does not execute trades, hold funds, act as a counterparty, or guarantee pricing, execution, or profit. This article is general commentary, not investment, legal, or trading advice. Conduct independent diligence before transacting.