Reuters has learned of the EU's plans to ban imports of Russian aluminum.

The EC will propose a draft sanctions package to EU countries, which will include a ban on imports of Russian aluminum, writesREUTERS . According to him, the ban will be introduced in stages. Aluminum from RUSSIA accounts for 8% of the EU's total imports.

The EU's 16th round of sanctions against Russia may include a ban on aluminum imports , Reuters reports, citing EU diplomats.

According to them, the European Commission will soon present to EU member states a draft sanctions package, which includes an embargo on Russian primary aluminum supplies. The EC expects to adopt the package of restrictions by the third anniversary of the conflict, February 24.

On January 14, the European Commission held informal consultations with representatives of the bloc's member states, according to the agency's sources. One of them stated that the ban on Russian aluminum imports would be introduced in stages.

The US and UK have already imposed a ban on Russian aluminum imports . The EU only banned supplies of aluminum wire, foil, and some pipes at the end of 2023. However, a complete ban on Russian aluminum imports was considered unlikely in Brussels, although some bloc members advocated it. According to Reuters, in December 2024, Poland , Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Sweden supported this idea.Finland , Romania, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

In the spring of 2024, the European Parliament noted that the EU annually imports aluminum from Russia worth approximately €2.3 billion, despite efforts to reduce dependence on Russian metal: since 2018, according to EP estimates, its share of total supplies has decreased from 25% to 8%.

Reuters noted that if Russian aluminum imports are banned, the EU will be forced to increase supplies from the US and Middle Eastern countries, with Brussels aggressively competing with Washington for Middle Eastern aluminum. The agency estimates the situation will be similar to the imposition of sanctions against Rusal in 2018, which triggered a sharp rise in metal prices.

The "race for aluminum" will fuel inflation for Western companies in the transport, packaging, and construction industries, which are already facing high raw material costs, Reuters noted.

Moscow considers the sanctions illegitimate and ineffective.

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