Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers bulk trade in metal in primary forms such as ingot, billet, slab and cathode.
2. How is this different from semi-finished metal?
Primary forms come straight from the smelter. Semi-finished products have already been rolled or drawn, and sit under 4662.03.
3. Can I cast or roll the metal?
No. Any shaping of the metal is manufacturing under a separate code.
4. Can I trade metal scrap?
No. Scrap sits under class 4669 and needs its own activity.
5. Do I need third-party approval?
No. This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
Topic Summary
What Primary Metal Trade Actually Covers
This activity focuses on bulk wholesale of metals in their first solid form after smelting, including ingots, billets, slabs, sows, and cast bars. The metal has left the smelter but has not yet been shaped, rolled, or further processed.
UAE Supply Numbers Worth Knowing
Emirates Global Aluminium alone sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal in 2024, representing roughly one in every 25 tonnes produced globally. Gulf-region smelters collectively produced around 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium that same year.
Key Products You Can Trade
Tradeable products include aluminium billet and ingot, steel billet, copper cathode, and zinc and lead ingot. Aluminium billet sold to extruders is the largest single primary metal line out of the UAE.
Who This Business Activity Suits
The activity is designed for primary metal traders who buy from smelters and sell on using index pricing, as well as industrial suppliers feeding rolling mills, extruders, and foundries. Alloy grade, delivery timing, and price margins are the core commercial levers.
Important Boundaries to Understand
Metal scrap trading, smelting, rolling, and any further processing of metal fall outside this activity and require separate classifications. Selling directly to the public also requires a retail trade license rather than a wholesale one.
Compliance Is Straightforward Here
This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone. It is also not subject to anti-money laundering compliance requirements, keeping the setup process relatively simple.
Location Gives Traders a Real Edge
UAE-produced primary metal reaches buyers in more than 50 countries, and traders based close to Gulf smelters benefit from advantages on both price and lead time. Storage and re-export of primary metal through UAE ports is also permitted under the same activity class.
How to Open a Wholesale of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals in Primary Forms in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
This activity covers bulk trade in metal in its first solid form. That means ingots, billets, slabs, sows and cast bar of various alloys. The metal has left the smelter, but nothing has been shaped or rolled from it yet. Buyers are rolling mills, extruders, foundries and fabricators.
The UAE is a serious producer at exactly this stage of the chain. Emirates Global Aluminium sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal during 2024.1 The company produces roughly one tonne in every 25 made anywhere in the world.1 All of that output has to be sold, stored and shipped on by someone.
The Gulf as a whole adds further weight to that picture. Regional smelters turned out about 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2024.2 UAE metal reaches buyers in more than 50 countries around the world.1 Traders sitting close to that supply hold a real advantage on both price and lead time.
How much primary metal the UAE turns out
Whether you supply mills, extruders or foundries, this activity covers bulk trade in primary metal. The figures below show the supply around you.
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Sources: Aluminium International Today (November 2025), International Aluminium Journal (October 2025)
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Who is this activity for?
| TRADER Primary metal traders |
You buy ingot and billet from smelters and sell on. Index pricing and timing drive the margin. |
| INDUSTRIAL Mill and foundry suppliers |
You feed rolling mills, extruders and foundries. Alloy grade and delivery dates matter most. |
What this activity covers
This code covers wholesale trade in metals in primary forms. The class guidelines place this between ore and semi-finished product.
- Bulk trade in aluminium ingot, billet and slab
- Bulk trade in steel billet and primary ferrous forms
- Bulk trade in copper cathode and primary non-ferrous metal
- Storage and re-export of primary metal through UAE ports
- Wider metal wholesale allowed under the same class
Product scope
| Aluminium billet | Cast bar sold to extruders. The largest single primary line out of the UAE. |
| Aluminium ingot and sow | Standard ingot and heavy sow for remelting. Priced directly against exchange rates. |
| Steel billet | Primary ferrous input for rolling mills. Traded in large tonnage lots. |
| Copper cathode | Refined copper sheet for wire and tube makers. High value per tonne. |
| Zinc and lead ingot | Primary ingot for galvanising and battery makers. Smaller volumes than aluminium or steel. |
What falls outside this activity
This activity does not cover metal scrap, which the class guidelines place under class 4669. Smelting, rolling or otherwise working the metal is manufacturing and sits under its own code. Selling direct to the public is retail trade and needs a retail activity instead.
In short, you can trade primary metal in bulk, but not scrap, and you cannot cast or roll it yourself.
Compliance
THIRD-PARTY APPROVAL
This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE
This business activity is not subject to AML compliance requirements.
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Citations
1. Aluminium International Today, Emirates Global Aluminium Achieves Production Milestone, November 2025.
2. International Aluminium Journal, Aluminium Smelters in the Gulf Region, October 2025.
