₨
Operating Tool · Landed-Cost & Container Math · every quote's pricing heartbeat

Landed-cost & container calculator

CIF + duty + port + inland = the price an Indian mill actually pays. Everything you can control and earn from is in that stack — compute it grade-by-grade, then read how many containers reach your target.

Baseline model: a 20 MT container of ferrous scrap lands around ~$470/MT in the playbook model; non-ferrous (copper, aluminium) stacks a 2.5% BCD (+0.25% SWS = 2.75%) on top, lead/zinc and ferrous stay nil (exemption extended to 31 Mar 2028 under Budget 2026-27). Adjust every input to today's market and recompute.

20
MT per 20GP ferrous container
1%
CIF commission – what the trade-desk earns per container
₹1 Cr
monthly target ≈ 10–11 containers CIF
A

Landed-cost calculator

Auto BCD by family: Ferrous/Lead/Zinc = 0% · Copper/Aluminium/Brass = 2.5% (+0.25% SWS → 2.75% permanent) · edit allowed for forward quotes.

IGST 18% applies on (CIF + BCD) at import but is recoverable input credit for the registered Indian buyer, so it does not land in true landed cost — it is cash-out then credit-back. Model uses 20 MT/container; a mixed non-ferrous 20GP runs lighter (15–17 MT). Always re-verify duty for the exact HS code this quarter before quoting — one customs surprise erases the whole margin.

B

Container math — how many containers to the target

₹1 Cr/month CIF (the stage target)

  • Landed ≈ ₹40,000–55,000/MT ferrous (model stack, INR 87) → a 20 MT container ≈ ₹8–11 lakh landed.
  • At 1% commission on CIF, one ferrous container earns ≈ $90–95 (₹7.8–8.3k). Volume, not margin, is the first-years engine.
  • ₹1 Cr/month of arranged CIF ≈ 10–11 containers / month — realistic with 2–3 Tier-A buyers × 3–4 containers each.
  • Margin note: commission on CIF ≠ ownership risk. We earn by arranging (sourcing, docs, LC, PSIC), not by holding inventory — that's the whole §9 model.

What a buyer really pays per grade (landed, model)

GradeFOB+dutyLanded (USD/MT)
HMS 1&2 80:20~$3900%~$470
Shredded~$4000%~$480
Copper #2 wire~$8,8002.75%~$9,125
Aluminium UBC~$1,8252.75%~$1,955
Lead wheel weights~$1,5500%~$1,630

Indicative, freight $65/MT (sourced Aug-2026: ≈ $44–199/MT — Globy live NOLA→Chennai $875 · Miami→JNPT $965 per 20ft; GoComet GFI JNPT $3,979) + inland $15/MT. Update from today's quotes via the calculator above.

C

Duty & compliance — resolved states (05 Sep 2026)

Scrap familyHSBCDValidity / source
Ferrous (HMS, shred, P&S, busheling)7204NilExemption extended to 31 Mar 2028 (Budget 2026-27 · steel.gov.in)
Copper / brass74042.5%Current (FM Budget 2026 speech; steel-baba)
Aluminium76022.5%Current (steel-baba)
Lead / zinc7802 / 7902NilBudget 2026-27 (steel-baba)

PSIC rule: DGFT-approved pre-shipment inspection is the quality gate — 19 import ports, 11 PSIC-exempted (PN 43/2023). A PSIC-certified load is your shield against contamination-rejection at the Indian port. Stack: CIF + duty + port handling + inland + PSIC fee = the price the buyer pays. Non-ferrous SWS: copper/aluminium/brass add 0.25% SWS (10% of BCD) → 2.75% permanent; ferrous/lead/zinc 0%. IGST 18% is recoverable input credit for the registered importer.