Buying scrap copper by the tonne off sites like Alibaba etc?

Browsing through scrap listings on sites like Alibaba got me wondering if anyone has tried buying a container of insulated copper scrap, having it shipped to North America and stripping & selling to their local yard. After doing some calculations in theory a person could make some decent money but I have a feeling it's not that simple. First off I imagine the quality of wire you receive is going to vary widely, possibly ending up with a **** load of wire that's extremely difficult to strip.

Anyone hear of anyone doing this?

My opinion on this is nothing ventured nothing gained......Go ahead and purchase a container and please post results here with detailed spreadsheet and pictures......Please and thank you

There are import taxes on anything values over $600 ... current rates can be found HERE
Shipping across the ocean is a whole 'nother issue. You may need to hire a specialized firm that can deal with all the paperwork for you.

Edit: HERE is a decent guide on the process in importing.

I was actively looking for bulk aluminium scrap Import into India. I tried alibaba and I could receive several quotations from south-east Asian countries. Since I am from India I never went to ask for local merchants. These are my conclusions


1)They put one price in the listing but when you receive mail you will get some other pricing which is higher
2)If you search the company name in google you will never get the company web sites.
3)Even if you could find the company web site they showcase something different such as oil, seed exporters
4)You will not get any message in alibaba inbox. All contacts will be mailed to you directly.
5)All the quotation in the mail will be identical from several company. I mean the mail format and message will be similar.
6)If you ask for a onsite visit they will never reply or they will deny.


My conclusion. International trade is complex thing. Its not just two parties involved. Its you, him, the banks of both countries and the country itself. If you don't know from whom you are buying then you can not sue them. If the country from where you are ordering does not have a strict law then you can not try a legal things on the exporters. Try to get the quotation and purchase from direct buyers by going to their website and asking in the mail they provided. Some sales representative will reply.