Many people ask if the oil prices going up or down affects the value of scrap metals and the simple answer is yes, sometimes. We know that isn’t a clear answer but there is more to it.
The prices of oil, one of, if not the most major commodity in the world and it affects all prices on things from scrap metals to food prices and more. Oil prices are always changing and always affecting the scrap prices in more ways than one.
How Do Oil Prices Affecting Scrap Metal Prices?
Oil affects so many things for so many reasons. Think about it, if it is more expensive to run machines because of the oil prices being so high, then the overhead will affect the price of the new production of metals and thus drive the prices up. But when the pricing of oil is depressed for such a long time the reverse affect will begin to take place.
If oil prices are so low it will affect the overhead, driving those prices lower, and then from there the scrap prices will start to take an affect. There will generally be a bit of a hangover affect because some of the materials that are needed will need to fill higher priced orders, but the overall picture will make sense because of the scrap prices.
Oil Is Affecting Scrap All Over The World
Oil pricing throughout the world will change a lot about the scrap markets. Many countries that rely on the scrap metal to come in to help build up their infrastructures like India and China are affected. Depending on the demand for their stockpiled materials, the scrap prices can adjust thus affecting oil prices. The price of oil will continue to affect the overall picture on scrap metal prices, but so will many other factors like:
- Political Elections
- Overall Health of World Economy
- Needs of developing countries for raw materials.
Too bad it wasn’t easier to just say that oil and scrap directly will go up and down with each other, but things are no longer simple or easy to predict. The market has become so complex since the year 2000 that many of the commodities like copper, aluminum, and more are controlled by traders in the stock markets throughout the world and prices are not as simple as black or white anymore.
Years ago things were much more predictable then they are today with normal ups and downs of the markets, but nowadays it is much more complex and because of that we always suggest checking out the most recent prices that your local scrap yards have posted or have been reported on through the iScrapApp.com.