Retrieve Steel Scrap HMS 1&2 (SCRAP-HM) Historical Prices through this API

In the ever-evolving landscape of metal markets, the ability to retrieve and analyze historical prices for steel scrap, specifically HMS 1&2 (SCRAP-HM), has become increasingly vital for developers and businesses alike. With the advent of APIs like Metals-API, accessing real-time and historical data has never been easier. This blog post will delve into the intricacies of the Metals-API, focusing on how to effectively retrieve historical prices for steel scrap and explore the broader implications of digital transformation in the metal markets.

Understanding Metals-API

Metals-API is a powerful tool designed for developers looking to integrate real-time and historical metal pricing data into their applications. The API provides a comprehensive suite of endpoints that allow users to access various types of data, including the latest rates, historical prices, and even fluctuations over time. This capability is particularly beneficial for industries reliant on accurate metal pricing, such as manufacturing, trading, and investment.

Digital Transformation in Metal Markets

The metal markets are undergoing a significant digital transformation, driven by technological innovations and advancements in data analytics. The integration of smart technologies and real-time data access is reshaping how businesses operate, enabling them to make informed decisions based on accurate and timely information. The Metals-API exemplifies this transformation by providing developers with the tools needed to harness the power of data analytics, ultimately leading to better market insights and strategic planning.

Technological Innovation and Advancement

At the heart of the Metals-API is a commitment to technological innovation. The API is designed to be user-friendly while offering robust capabilities that cater to the needs of developers. With features such as real-time exchange rates, historical data access, and various endpoints for specific queries, the Metals-API stands out as a leader in the field. Developers can leverage these features to build applications that not only retrieve data but also analyze trends and forecast future prices.

Data Analytics and Insights

Data analytics plays a crucial role in the metal markets, allowing businesses to derive actionable insights from historical and real-time data. The Metals-API provides access to a wealth of information, enabling developers to create applications that can analyze price trends, monitor fluctuations, and even predict future movements in the market. By utilizing the API's capabilities, businesses can enhance their decision-making processes and improve their overall operational efficiency.

Smart Technology Integration

The integration of smart technologies into the metal markets is revolutionizing how data is accessed and utilized. With the Metals-API, developers can seamlessly integrate real-time data into their applications, allowing for instantaneous updates and insights. This capability is particularly valuable in fast-paced environments where timely information can significantly impact decision-making. The API's design ensures that developers can easily implement these features, making it a go-to resource for those looking to innovate in the metal sector.

Future Trends and Possibilities

As the metal markets continue to evolve, the potential for future advancements is vast. The Metals-API is at the forefront of this evolution, providing developers with the tools necessary to adapt to changing market conditions. With the ongoing development of new features and enhancements, the API is poised to remain a critical resource for businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve. The future of metal pricing data is bright, and the Metals-API is leading the way.

API Description

The Metals-API is designed to empower developers by providing a comprehensive set of features that facilitate the retrieval of metal pricing data. The API supports various endpoints, each tailored to specific data needs. For instance, the Metals-API Documentation outlines how to access the latest rates, historical prices, and even bid and ask prices for various metals.

Key Features and Endpoints

One of the standout features of the Metals-API is its Latest Rates Endpoint, which provides real-time exchange rate data. Depending on your subscription plan, this endpoint can return data updated every 60 minutes or even every 10 minutes. This feature is essential for developers who need up-to-the-minute information to inform their applications.

The Historical Rates Endpoint is another critical feature, allowing users to access historical rates dating back to 2019. By appending a specific date to the API request, developers can retrieve historical pricing data for metals, which is invaluable for trend analysis and market research.

Additionally, the Bid and Ask Endpoint enables users to retrieve real-time bid and ask prices, providing insights into market liquidity and pricing dynamics. This feature is particularly useful for traders and investors looking to make informed decisions based on current market conditions.

The Convert Endpoint allows for seamless currency conversion, enabling developers to convert any amount from one metal to another or to/from USD. This functionality is crucial for applications that require multi-currency support, ensuring that users can easily navigate the complexities of global metal markets.

For those interested in analyzing price trends over time, the Time-Series Endpoint allows users to query the API for daily historical rates between two chosen dates. This feature is particularly beneficial for developers looking to create applications that visualize price movements and trends.

The Fluctuation Endpoint provides insights into how metal prices fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, allowing developers to track changes and identify patterns. This data is essential for businesses that rely on price stability and predictability.

Moreover, the Carat Endpoint enables users to retrieve information about gold rates by carat, catering to specific market needs. The Lowest/Highest Price Endpoint allows users to query the API for the lowest and highest prices over a specified period, providing a comprehensive view of market dynamics.

For those interested in open, high, low, and close (OHLC) data, the OHLC Price Endpoint provides detailed pricing information for specific time periods. This data is crucial for traders looking to analyze market performance and make informed decisions.

The Historical LME Endpoint provides access to historical rates for LME symbols dating back to 2008, allowing users to analyze long-term trends in metal pricing.

Authentication is straightforward, requiring an API Key that is passed into the API base URL's access_key parameter. This key ensures secure access to the API's features and data.

All exchange rates delivered by the Metals-API are relative to USD, and the API provides a comprehensive response structure that includes various fields, each with its significance. For a complete list of supported symbols, developers can refer to the Metals-API Supported Symbols page.

API Endpoint Examples and Responses

Understanding the API's response structure is crucial for effective implementation. Below are examples of various API responses, showcasing the data returned for different endpoints.

Latest Rates Endpoint

To retrieve real-time exchange rates for all available metals, a request to the Latest Rates Endpoint will yield a response similar to the following:

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1774570850,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-03-27",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912,
"XPD": 0.000744,
"XCU": 0.294118,
"XAL": 0.434783,
"XNI": 0.142857,
"XZN": 0.344828
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response indicates that the request was successful and provides the current exchange rates for various metals, with the base currency being USD.

Historical Rates Endpoint

Accessing historical exchange rates for any date since 1999 can be done through the Historical Rates Endpoint. An example response might look like this:

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1774484450,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-03-26",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915,
"XPD": 0.000748
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response shows the historical rates for a specific date, allowing developers to analyze past pricing trends.

Time-Series Endpoint

For developers interested in analyzing exchange rates over a specific time period, the Time-Series Endpoint provides a response like this:

{
"success": true,
"timeseries": true,
"start_date": "2026-03-20",
"end_date": "2026-03-27",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"2026-03-20": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915
},
"2026-03-22": {
"XAU": 0.000483,
"XAG": 0.0382,
"XPT": 0.000913
},
"2026-03-27": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides daily rates for the specified period, enabling developers to visualize trends and fluctuations over time.

Convert Endpoint

The Convert Endpoint allows for easy conversion between metals and USD. An example response might look like this:

{
"success": true,
"query": {
"from": "USD",
"to": "XAU",
"amount": 1000
},
"info": {
"timestamp": 1774570850,
"rate": 0.000482
},
"result": 0.482,
"unit": "troy ounces"
}

This response indicates the successful conversion of an amount from USD to gold (XAU), providing the equivalent in troy ounces.

Fluctuation Endpoint

Tracking rate fluctuations between two dates can be achieved through the Fluctuation Endpoint, with a response like this:

{
"success": true,
"fluctuation": true,
"start_date": "2026-03-20",
"end_date": "2026-03-27",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"start_rate": 0.000485,
"end_rate": 0.000482,
"change": -3.0e-6,
"change_pct": -0.62
},
"XAG": {
"start_rate": 0.03825,
"end_rate": 0.03815,
"change": -0.0001,
"change_pct": -0.26
},
"XPT": {
"start_rate": 0.000915,
"end_rate": 0.000912,
"change": -3.0e-6,
"change_pct": -0.33
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides detailed information about how metal prices have changed over the specified period, including both absolute and percentage changes.

OHLC (Open/High/Low/Close) Endpoint

For those interested in detailed pricing data, the OHLC Price Endpoint provides a response like this:

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1774570850,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-03-27",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"open": 0.000485,
"high": 0.000487,
"low": 0.000481,
"close": 0.000482
},
"XAG": {
"open": 0.03825,
"high": 0.0383,
"low": 0.0381,
"close": 0.03815
},
"XPT": {
"open": 0.000915,
"high": 0.000918,
"low": 0.00091,
"close": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides open, high, low, and close prices for the specified date, allowing traders to analyze market performance effectively.

Bid/Ask Endpoint

Finally, the Bid/Ask Endpoint provides current bid and ask prices for metals, with a response like this:

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1774570850,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-03-27",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"bid": 0.000481,
"ask": 0.000483,
"spread": 2.0e-6
},
"XAG": {
"bid": 0.0381,
"ask": 0.0382,
"spread": 0.0001
},
"XPT": {
"bid": 0.000911,
"ask": 0.000913,
"spread": 2.0e-6
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides essential information for traders, including the current bid and ask prices, as well as the spread, which is crucial for understanding market liquidity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Metals-API offers a robust solution for developers looking to access historical prices for steel scrap HMS 1&2 (SCRAP-HM) and other metals. With its comprehensive suite of endpoints, the API empowers users to retrieve real-time data, analyze trends, and make informed decisions based on accurate information. The digital transformation of the metal markets is well underway, and APIs like Metals-API are at the forefront of this evolution, providing the tools necessary for businesses to thrive in a data-driven world.

For more information on how to get started with the Metals-API, visit the Metals-API Website and explore the extensive Metals-API Documentation for detailed guidance on implementation and usage. Additionally, for a complete list of supported symbols, check out the Metals-API Supported Symbols page.