More than a million tonnes purchased, then nothing? Morocco has a lot at stake with European scrap
Morocco purchased 1.08 million tonnes of steel scrap from the European Union in the first half of 2026. These deliveries could stop on May 21, 2027: in a draft regulation, Brussels is for now refusing to authorize exports of metal waste to the Kingdom.
On September 18, the European Commission published the provisional list of non-OECD countries that will be able to continue receiving certain categories of European waste. Morocco appears on it for textile waste and used tires, but not for metals. In its draft regulation, Brussels considers that the Kingdom has not demonstrated that it has put in place and applied all the necessary measures to ensure environmentally sound treatment of metal waste.
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The contrast is striking for Morocco’s steel industry. According to Eurostat data cited by Eurometal, Morocco imported 1.08 million tonnes of European steel scrap between January and June 2026, or 44.9% more than a year earlier. If the list is adopted as it stands, this source of supply will be closed to Moroccan buyers from May 21, 2027.
Morocco can still defend its case
The new European regulation will, on that date, prohibit the export of non-hazardous waste to non-OECD countries, except when the Commission has expressly authorized the destination country to receive the category concerned. Morocco had requested continued access to ferrous and non-ferrous scrap. Its application convinced Brussels in the case of textiles and tires, but not metals.
The consequences could extend beyond the Moroccan market alone. Egypt and several Asian importers also risk losing access to European scrap. Traders interviewed by Eurometal expect part of the European volumes to be redirected to Turkey, an OECD member. Private buyers of these shipments would, for their part, have to seek more scrap from other suppliers, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Nothing has been decided yet. The draft is open for consultation until October 16, and the Commission must establish its first definitive list by November 21 at the latest. Morocco therefore still has a window to provide the guarantees requested by Brussels. Unless the text is amended, European exporters will no longer be able to sell it the categories of metal waste excluded from the text as of May 21, 2027.
