Reuters: European trade group considers sanctions on Russian aluminum

A document circulated among members of the trade group European Aluminum said the group has discussed pushing for sanctions on Russian aluminum, Reuters reports.

The internal memo stipulated that the trade group would not, however, lobby for sanctions against Rusal, Russia's largest aluminum producer.

Reuters reporters who saw the document said it was dated July 2023 and mentioned internal debate over "actively calling for EU sanctions on Russian aluminum."

According to Reuters, the head of European Aluminum said they had no information about any pending EU sanctions, and that the group prepared the memo for planning purposes only.

The memo advised against sanctioning the Russian company Rusal, which produced around 6% of the global aluminum supply last year. The trade group's position was that Rusal's wide international reach complicates sanctions policies.

The EU's current sanctions against Russian aluminum imports are limited. Only certain products thicker than 0.2 mm are restricted.

The EU's overall reliance on Russian aluminum has declined since the U.S. imposed sanctions on Rusal back in 2018, Reuters wrote.

European Aluminum's memo identified China and Turkey as "alternative destinations for Russian metal."

In February 2023, the U.S. announced plans to levy a 200% tariff on Russian aluminum. In March, Canada banned imports of Russian aluminum and steel.

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Editor’s note: This investigation is a collaboration between the Kyiv Independent and partners, including The Investigative Desk, Lighthouse Reports, and Follow the Money (Netherlands), El Diario (Spain), Delfi (Estonia), and Libération (France). Key findings: * Over a year into Russia’s full-sca…

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Myroniuk