Scrap Copper Was Piling Up in the US. Now It Can Finally Move

A mountain of scrap metal in Salt Lake City that had been growing in recent weeks is finally set to shrink, thanks to the temporary truce in the trade dispute between the US and China.

The 300,000 pounds of copper salvaged from old air conditioners, razed buildings and rusty cars has been piling up in the yard at Utah Metal Works Inc. after US shipments to China ground to a halt during the tit-for-tat tariff battle. Now that both countries have agreed to lower their levies for the next three months, the race is on to get the waste metal moving again.