How to Export Caribbean Scrap Metal to Scrap Metal Exporters in USA
Caribbean yards and dealers move a serious tonnage of copper, aluminum, brass, and stainless every year. Most of that material lands in South Florida, where scrap metal exporters in USA hubs like Miami buy, process, and redistribute it to mills worldwide. If you run a yard in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad, or Puerto Rico, the export process follows a clear, repeatable path. This guide breaks down each step.
Step 1: Evaluate your scrap and request a buyer quote
Before contacting a buyer, sort and weigh your material. Non-ferrous scrap trades by grade, not by raw tonnage. Copper #1 (bare bright) sells at a premium over Copper #2 (insulated or oxidized). Aluminum extrusion fetches more than dirty cast. Use the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular as your reference. US buyers expect that vocabulary, and a sloppy classification costs you money at unloading.
Photograph each grade, record net weights, and draft a packing list. The cleaner your description, the tighter the quote you receive.
Pricing for bulk copper and aluminum tracks the COMEX and LME indexes minus a refining and logistics margin. Send your Miami buyer the sorted volume, grade breakdown, and origin port. Expect a per-pound quote in USD valid for 24 to 72 hours, given metal price volatility. Full-container loads negotiate stronger margins than mixed pallets.
Step 2: Learn about the documentation required for non-ferrous scrap
Five core documents move scrap from a Caribbean port to a US receiver. The commercial invoice records grade, weight, and unit price. The packing list itemizes each container with tare and gross weights. The ocean carrier issues the bill of lading once cargo is on board. A certificate of origin unlocks CBTPA preferential treatment for eligible Caribbean countries. Your local customs authority requires an export declaration: DUA in the Dominican Republic, eC2 in Jamaica, or ASYCUDA-based forms in Trinidad and Tobago.
On the US side, your importer files the Importer Security Filing (ISF 10+2) at least 24 hours before loading at origin and submits the CBP entry on arrival. A licensed Miami customs broker handles both filings. If your shipment contains lead-acid batteries, electronic waste, or any RCRA-listed component, EPA notification under 40 CFR Part 262 applies. Clean copper, brass, and aluminum do not trigger that rule.
Step 3: Time to choose your Incoterm: FOB or CIF
The Incoterm fixes who pays for what and when risk transfers. For Caribbean-to-Miami shipments, two dominate the contracts.
FOB (Free On Board) means you cover everything to your origin port, including loading the container onto the vessel. Risk passes to the buyer once cargo is on board. FOB suits exporters who trust their local freight forwarder and want a cleaner net price.
CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) means you pay ocean freight and marine insurance to PortMiami or Port Everglades. Risk still passes at origin loading, but you control the voyage. CIF works when you negotiate better ocean rates than your US buyer, or when the contract demands delivery to a Florida port. For first-time exporters, FOB tends to be simpler. Confirm the agreed Incoterm on the commercial invoice.
Step 4: Remember to coordinate container logistics and port entry
Most Caribbean shipments load into 20-foot or 40-foot dry containers, sealed with a tamper-evident bolt seal. Each container is weighed at origin under SOLAS Verified Gross Mass rules. Photograph the loaded container, the seal number, and the bill of lading before departure.
Transit times from major Caribbean origins to South Florida run between 3 and 10 days. Schedule your pickup so cargo arrives before your buyer’s quote expires.
Which US ports receive Caribbean scrap?
Three Florida ports handle nearly all Caribbean non-ferrous scrap imports: Port of Miami, Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), and Port of Palm Beach. Port Everglades connects directly to Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean, with rail and Foreign Trade Zone access for downstream processing. JAXPORT in Jacksonville also moves scrap volumes, though Miami-bound buyers usually favor the South Florida triangle to keep inland drayage short. AllfloridascrapWarehousing Etc
Step 5: Vet your Miami buyer and also make sure to secure the payment
A reliable Miami buyer pays on a certified scale, grades transparently at unloading, and wires payment within 3 to 5 business days of container release. Verify ISRI membership, Florida DBPR licensing, and bank references. Confirm the buyer’s physical address through a video walk-through or an in-person visit.
Cross-border payments move by international wire (SWIFT) in USD. For first transactions, a Letter of Credit issued through your local bank protects both sides. Once you build a track record, exporters and buyers shift to net-3 or net-5 wire terms.
Your container deserves a Miami buyer that grades fairly, pays fast, and understands the Caribbean route. General Metals Corp has done exactly that since 1970, building 56 years of direct relationships with sellers in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad, and across the wider region.
We weigh your aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless on certified scales, quote against live COMEX prices, and wire payment as soon as your container clears US Customs. As one of the most experienced scrap metal exporters in the USA, we make every shipment predictable from quote to wire transfer. Contact our international buying team today.
