Continental Trading Corp. supplies secondary carbon steel wire rod — high carbon and low carbon — sourced from major North American rod producers at wholesale prices. Wire rod is the feedstock from which finished wire is drawn. It is the starting material for a wire producer, not a finished product — making it ideal for buyers who operate their own drawing facilities.
Our secondary wire rod is material that fell outside a specific customer specification — commonly due to surface condition, diameter tolerance, or overproduction. For a wire drawer, secondary rod is frequently interchangeable with prime once it enters the drawing process, making this an exceptional value.
Carbon Steel Wire Rod — Properties & Specifications
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Carbon Grade | SAE 1006 – SAE 1090 (low to very high carbon) |
| Diameter Range | 5.5mm – 20mm |
| Coil Weight | 0.5 – 2.0 metric tons per coil |
| Surface Condition | As-rolled (mill scale); descaled on request |
| Standards | ASTM / SAE / metric equivalents |
| Supply Form | Large coils |
| Quality | Secondary / Second choice (non-prime) |
Who Buys Surplus Carbon Steel Wire Rod?
Wire rod is the feedstock for all downstream wire products, and the buyers of second choice rod are therefore wire drawing operations. These range from small independent wire drawers producing niche products to large integrated wire manufacturers drawing hundreds of thousands of tons per year. For a wire drawer, the input cost of rod is the dominant cost in the production equation — any meaningful discount on rod flows directly to the bottom line.
Second choice rod is particularly attractive to wire drawers with flexible incoming specifications — those producing a range of products for different customers, where the exact carbon grade or surface condition of the rod can be matched to an appropriate end application. A drawer producing baling wire, tie wire, and general fabrication wire has significant flexibility in the rod grades it can use and is well-positioned to benefit from second choice pricing.
Cold headers producing fasteners also purchase wire rod — typically low carbon grades for cold heading — and second choice rod that meets forming requirements (surface condition, grain structure) is routinely used in fastener production. Buyers in India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Southeast Asia are among our most active rod customers, given the large wire drawing capacity in these regions and the competitive nature of their end markets.
Sourcing & Availability
Carbon steel wire rod is produced at integrated steel mills — operations that go from iron ore or scrap through steelmaking, casting, rolling, and rod finishing in a continuous process. Second choice rod arises from surface condition issues (seams, laps, or scale from the rolling process), slight dimensional variation, or chemical composition that falls at the edge of a specification range. The fundamental mechanical properties of the steel are not typically affected.
Continental Trading Corp. sources rod from major North American rod producers across the full carbon range — SAE 1006 through SAE 1090. Coil weights typically range from 500kg to 2,000kg. Diameter range is 5.5mm to 18mm. We communicate surface condition and the specific reason for downgrading on every lot, so buyers can make an informed decision about suitability for their drawing process.
Rod ships efficiently in containers or breakbulk depending on volume and destination. Buyers in Asia receive regular offers as North American rod production generates second choice lots. Contact us with your target grade, diameter, and volume to be added to our buyer list.
High Carbon vs. Low Carbon Wire Rod
High carbon wire rod (C1045 and above) is the feedstock for spring wire, music wire, PC wire, tire cord, and other high-tensile applications. It has elevated hardness and strength after drawing. Low carbon wire rod (below C1030) is used to produce bright basic wire, annealed wire, cold heading wire, and general-purpose drawn wire. Carbon grades range from SAE 1006 to SAE 1090 depending on lot.
Specifications
Wire rod is typically supplied in coils weighing 0.5–2.0 metric tons. Diameters commonly range from 5.5mm to 20mm. Common specifications include SAE grades, ASTM standards, and metric equivalents. Surface condition, grain structure, and inclusion levels are mill-certified. Contact us with your target spec and volume.
Applications
Secondary wire rod is used by wire drawing plants worldwide as feedstock for all carbon wire products. It is also used for cold heading (fasteners, bolts, screws), reinforcing bar applications in some markets, and occasionally for forging stock. Continental Trading Corp. sources rod for buyers who have drawing capacity and want to maximize value by processing secondary material in-house.
