Humphreys says Aughinish Alumina situation still critical despite the ongoing discussions in Washington

We recently covered a news update that existing supply deals with Rusal’s Aughinish alumina refinery in Ireland would resume as the U.S. had extended the deadline for US and non-US citizens to wind up business with Rusal to late October.

However, Minister for Business Heather Humphreys said that the situation regarding Aughinish Alumina still remained “critical”. She held a series of meetings with members in the Trump administration including commerce secretary Wilbur Ross on the status of the refinery.

Ms Humphreys said that the deadline extension had given some “breathing space,” to the refinery but the situation remained critical.

“The sanctions have inadvertently put the company’s future in jeopardy, and we’re facing a potentially devastating impact on employment in the regional economy,” she said.

The sanction announcement against Rusal could impact 450 jobs at the Limerick plant, which is causing a concern at the highest political levels in Dublin and Brussels. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney spoke to Tom Shannon, undersecretary of state for political affairs, while EU and Irish representatives in Washington urged the Trump administration to reconsider the decision.

Aughinish Alumina supplies about 30 per cent of the EU’s alumina demand. Separately, Aughinish Alumina is facing an indirect effect of US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU and elsewhere. Though the EU was given an extra 30 days’ exemption period, Mr Ross warned that the exemption would not be renewed indefinitely. Since the refinery provides alumina to some of the biggest users of aluminium in Europe that export their products to the US, and the tariffs may affect Aughinish's alumina shipment.

Ms Humphreys said Aughinish was “hugely important to the local economy in Limerick” and contributes about €130 million annually. She said the Department of Foreign Affairs and her own department had been working continuously on the matter and that work would be “ongoing.”