Millberry copper — also known as Bare Bright copper or ISRI code 'Barley' — is the highest grade of unalloyed copper wire scrap traded globally. For rod mills, wire drawers and ingot manufacturers in India, it is the most predictable raw material in the non-ferrous procurement basket.
Definition: what counts as Millberry copper
Per the ISRI scrap specifications, Millberry is bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire that is no smaller than 16 gauge (1.3 mm), free of burnt wire, hair wire, tin, lead, soldered joints, brittle copper, and other foreign attachments. The metal must be clean, bright and free of oxidation. In practical trading terms, Indian buyers typically receive Millberry at 99.9% to 99.95% copper content.
Why Millberry commands a premium
- Direct feedstock for copper rod mills with minimal preprocessing
- Stable yield in melt — 98%+ recovery in induction furnaces
- Lower fluxing and refining costs versus lower grades
- Trades at a tight discount to LME Grade A cathode
Typical applications
Millberry feeds into continuous casting rod mills (CCR), copper wire drawing units, transformer winding wire producers, enameled copper wire makers, and high-purity copper ingot foundries serving switchgear and electrical OEMs.
How Indian buyers source Millberry
Domestic Millberry comes from de-insulated cable processors, OEM in-house scrap, telecom decommissioning and authorised e-waste handlers. Imported Millberry historically arrived from the US, Gulf and Europe; today most Indian buyers prefer domestic supply tied to ISRI specs to avoid BIS, customs and DGFT delays.
Pricing reference
Millberry is benchmarked daily against LME copper, MCX copper and the previous day's domestic rod-mill landed cost. A reliable supplier will quote a transparent discount-to-LME basis along with GST, freight and unloading terms.
Buy on specification, not on adjective. 'Premium quality' is not a grade — Millberry, Berry, Birch, Candy and Heavy Copper are.