Prices as of March 19, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC.
Market screen levels only — not yard pay prices. Actual buy prices at the scale will differ based on grade, moisture, contamination, and freight. The scrolling ticker at the top of this page shows live prices and may differ from the snapshot below.
All tracked metals are lower today.
Jump to:
- Gold — $4,608/oz ▼
- Silver — $68.43/oz ▼
- PGMs — Rh ▸ $11,400 · Pt ▼ $1,895 · Pd ▼ $1,407
- Copper — $5.42/lb ▼
- Aluminum — $1.51/lb ▼
- Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
- Macro Backdrop
- CAD — USD/CAD 1.3706
SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today
- Gold & Silver — Hold off on selling with gold down $218 to $4,608/oz and silver dropping $6.94 to $68.43/oz. These sharp declines (gold -4.52%, silver -9.21%) suggest panic selling that could stabilize soon. Our models correctly called both metals lower, but this magnitude of drop often marks short-term bottoms.
- PGMs — Consider selling platinum and palladium inventories now, as platinum fell $123 to $1,895/oz (-6.10%) and palladium dropped $55 to $1,407/oz (-3.76%). Auto sector weakness continues pressuring both metals. Rhodium held flat at $11,400/oz, showing some stability in the PGM complex.
- Copper — List copper inventory on SMASH Recycling today with prices down 7 cents to $5.42/lb (-1.30%). This continues the industrial metals selloff, and Toronto/Montreal yards are seeing steady demand despite the price weakness.
- Aluminum — Sell aluminum scrap immediately as prices dropped 4 cents to $1.51/lb (-2.71%). Calgary and Vancouver recyclers report good volumes, so move inventory before further declines hit your margins.
- Big Picture — Broad market weakness with 0 of 8 metals higher today and 6 showing significant declines, signaling risk-off sentiment across industrial and precious metals markets.
Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk
Brent Crude Oil: $107.45/bbl, up $1.97 (+1.87%) day-over-day.
Oil prices surged nearly $2 per barrel today as tensions escalate in the Middle East, with reports of Iran's conflict threatening global fertilizer supplies and broader commodity chains. This energy spike creates mixed signals for Canadian scrap markets - higher diesel and transport costs squeeze margins for yards in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, but the geopolitical risk premium typically boosts demand for industrial metals as a hedge against supply disruptions.
The macro backdrop shows concerning weakness across base metals, with copper and zinc continuing their recent declines despite oil's rally. This disconnect suggests underlying demand worries about global manufacturing are outweighing the energy-driven inflation story. For scrap dealers from Calgary to Halifax, watch whether this oil move proves temporary or signals broader commodity reflation - sustained energy gains above current levels could finally lift steel and aluminum values, but only if the industrial demand picture stabilizes first.
Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator
- Spot Gold (XAU): $4,608/oz, down $217.91 (-4.52%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,826/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Gold sellers across Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver face tougher conditions as the precious metal extends its sharp decline, giving back more of last week's gains amid persistent selling pressure. Despite ongoing Middle East tensions that typically boost safe-haven demand, gold continues to struggle as investors weigh geopolitical risk premiums against other market forces. Scrap gold dealers and jewelry recyclers should expect lower buyback prices, though the metal's traditional role as a crisis hedge means any escalation in regional conflicts could quickly reverse the current downtrend.
Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid
- Spot Silver (XAG): $68.43/oz, down $6.94 (-9.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.37/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Gold/Silver ratio: 67.3:1.
Silver dropped sharply as Middle East tensions create a complex picture for Canadian scrap sellers - while the geopolitical risk premium typically supports precious metals, rising oil costs are squeezing transport margins for yards across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. The metal's decline continues recent weakness, with sellers of electronics scrap and industrial silver feeling pressure from both the precious metal selloff and concerns about industrial demand. At a gold-to-silver ratio above 67:1, silver appears relatively cheap compared to gold, but scrap dealers should watch whether industrial users step in at these lower levels or if the dual pressures of higher energy costs and risk-off sentiment continue weighing on both jewelry scrap and electronic component recovery values.
Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators
- Platinum (Pt): $1,895/oz, down $123.00 (-6.10%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,018/oz.
- Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Palladium (Pd): $1,407/oz, down $55.00 (-3.76%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,462/oz.
- Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Rhodium (Rh): $11,400/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $11,400/oz.
- Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 1 of last 5 sessions.
PGM markets faced broad selling pressure today despite escalating Middle East tensions, with both platinum and palladium extending their recent downtrends. Scrap sellers across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are seeing catalytic converter values decline as automotive recycling margins compress, though rhodium held steady and remains the bright spot for processors handling high-grade catalysts. The disconnect between rising oil prices and falling PGM values suggests automotive demand concerns are outweighing any geopolitical risk premium in these markets.
Copper — Current Indicators
- COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.42/lb, down $0.0715 (-1.30%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.49/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Copper dipped about 7 cents today as Middle East tensions created mixed pressures - while oil surged to $107 per barrel boosting energy costs, the red metal continued its recent slide with four down sessions in the past five days. Scrap sellers across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are feeling the squeeze from both lower copper prices and higher diesel costs cutting into yard margins, making this a challenging time for #1 and #2 copper, bare bright, and wire sellers. The ongoing weakness suggests copper hasn't found its footing yet despite geopolitical uncertainties typically supporting industrial metals.
Aluminum — Current Indicators
- LME Aluminum: $3,323/tonne ($1.51/lb), down $0.0420 (-2.71%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.55/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Aluminum prices slipped despite surging oil costs, as the four-cent decline reflects weak demand from Canadian auto recyclers and construction sectors outweighing higher transport expenses. Scrap yards in Toronto and Vancouver are seeing mixed signals - while diesel costs are squeezing margins on collection routes, the broader geopolitical tensions haven't translated into aluminum buying as industrial buyers remain cautious about inventory builds. Cast aluminum sellers may find slightly softer pricing at yards, though sheet and extrusion grades are holding up better due to steady aerospace demand in Montreal's manufacturing corridor.
Steel Scrap (Shredded (SHS), scrapmonster) — Current Indicators
- Steel Scrap Shredded (SHS) (SCRAP-SHS): $413.00/mt, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $413.00/mt.
- 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.
- HMS 1&2 (80:20) (SCRAP-HM): $366.00/mt (flat day-over-day).
⚠️ Note: Silver (9.2%), Platinum (6.1%) show unusually large day-over-day moves. Illiquid markets (e.g. rhodium) can have wide bid-ask spreads; verify with multiple sources before acting.
Want to move PGM-bearing material, copper, aluminum, or steel scrap through competitive bidding? List your lots on SMASH Recycling and let vetted Canadian buyers compete for your scrap.