Short answer. Copper scrap in Australia is bought by scrap yards, by exporters and by buyers who bid online. They price differently, so which one suits you depends on the load you hold.
The question "who buys copper scrap" has three practical answers, and most sellers only ever meet the first. This page sorts the buyer types, explains how each one decides what to pay, and points to the data on where the copper ends up. It gives no yard rates, because we could not source a current Australian list. ScrapTrade operates a scrap marketplace, so it has a commercial interest in this trade.
The three kinds of buyer
- Scrap yards and recyclers. Walk-in buyers who weigh your load, grade it on the spot and pay on the day. Most households and small trades deal with a yard.
- Exporters and metal traders. They buy sorted lots in volume and sell on overseas. Australian customs records show 113,411 tonnes of copper-bearing scrap declared for export in 2025-26, led by China, with Thailand taking about a quarter of the tonnage.
- Online buyers. On a marketplace such as ScrapTrade you describe the lot with photos and review the bids that come in, instead of accepting one posted rate.
How each one prices
All three start from the same place: the daily copper benchmark, converted to Australian dollars, then reduced for grade, contamination and handling. How that sum works is in Scrap Yard Copper Prices: How to Check an Offer.
A yard quotes a rate for each grade. An exporter prices a whole lot and wants it consistent. An online buyer prices against your description, so the quality of your photos and grade description changes the bids you get.
Which one suits your load
- A few kilograms of pipe or offcuts: a nearby yard, because the trip costs less than the extra you might gain elsewhere.
- A sorted lot of one grade, such as clean wire: compare a yard against online bids.
- Mixed or insulated cable: sort it first. A mixed lot may be priced at the lowest grade in it. See Copper Scrap: How to Get the Most for It.
Where the copper goes next
Most Australian copper scrap is not melted locally. Who Buys Australia's Aluminium and Copper Scrap shows the destinations, and Where Old Copper Wire Goes After You Sell It follows one load through the chain.
Where ScrapTrade fits
List copper on ScrapTrade for free: there is no commission, verified buyers bid, and the buyer's 5% deposit is held in escrow once you accept a bid. Businesses and individuals can sell after verification.
What we could not verify
- Current buying rates for any grade.
- How many Australian buyers pay more for sorted lots.
- Minimum load sizes at individual yards.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the most for copper scrap?
We could not source a ranking. Compare two or three buyers on the same day and the same described load.
Can I sell copper scrap directly to an exporter?
Some exporters buy only in volume from regular suppliers. Ask what the minimum is before you travel.
Do buyers pay for insulated cable by weight?
Usually for the copper recovered, not the weight on the scale. The ScrapTrade index puts recovery at 60 to 70%.
Sources
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, waste exports data, with ScrapTrade calculations. 2025-26 figures are provisional and are customs declarations, not prices.
- ScrapTrade Price Index grade definitions, accessed November 2026.
General information only. We found no sourced list of Australian copper buyers.