The European Commission has proposed excluding Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco and Tunisia from the list of non-OECD countries authorized to receive metal waste from the EU, potentially restricting steel scrap shipments to these markets from May 2027.
Under the draft delegated regulation published on September 18, the six countries would not be authorized to receive metal waste, including ferrous and non-ferrous materials, despite having applied to continue importing waste from the EU. The Commission concluded that they had not demonstrated that all necessary measures were in place and implemented to ensure environmentally sound management of metal waste.
The proposed restrictions stem from the EU Waste Shipment Regulation, which introduces stricter controls on waste exports to countries outside the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). From May 21, 2027, exports of non-hazardous waste from the EU to non-OECD countries will generally be prohibited unless the destination is included on the Commission’s authorized list for the relevant waste category.
Pakistan’s application covered several categories of ferrous metal waste, alongside other metal-waste categories. However, the Commission’s assessment recommends excluding ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste from the authorized list for Pakistan. Other waste categories, including paper, wood, rubber, textile, mineral, glass and ceramic waste, could still qualify for export under the proposal.
Saudi Arabia faces a similar proposed exclusion for ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste, while the Commission recommends allowing certain other waste categories. Egypt, Oman, Morocco and Tunisia are also proposed for exclusion from metal-waste exports, although several other waste streams could remain eligible under the draft.
The proposal does not constitute a blanket ban on steel scrap exports to all non-EU markets. Authorization is waste-specific, meaning countries may qualify to receive some waste categories but not others. Turkey, an OECD member, falls outside this particular list and is subject to a different regulatory framework.
Eurostat data illustrates the existing trade flows with several of the affected markets. EU27 exports of ferrous waste and scrap under HS 7204 to Egypt totalled approximately 1.81 mln tons in 2025. Shipments reached 1.19 mln tons in January-July 2026, compared with 731,100 tons in the same period of 2025.
Exports to Morocco amounted to approximately 432,100 tons in 2025, including 381,800 tons in January-July 2026, against 200,200 tons a year earlier. Shipments to Pakistan totalled 587,600 tons in 2025 and reached 431,300 tons in January-July 2026, compared with 278,300 tons in the corresponding period of 2025.
For Oman, the available Eurostat observations totalled approximately 726 tons across six months in 2025 and 631 tons across four months in January-July 2026. For Saudi Arabia, recorded quantities amounted to approximately 120,300 tons across seven months in 2025, while the January-July 2026 data contained a numerical observation of about 583 tons for just one month. No numerical quantities were available for Tunisia under the selected HS 7204 filters on the Eurostat website.
The trade figures cover EU27 exports reported under HS 7204, which includes ferrous waste and scrap and remelting scrap ingots of iron or steel, subject to specified exclusions. They therefore do not necessarily capture every category of metal waste covered by the draft regulation.
The Commission’s draft remains subject to consultation until October 16, with the first list of authorized destinations expected by the end of 2026. The final list will determine whether EU metal scrap shipments can continue to these markets under the new framework.