Ten EU states call for broader sanctions on Russian aluminium after 15th sanctions package approval on Dec. 16

According to a recent report, ten European Union member states have jointly appealed for stricter sanctions on Russian metals, including aluminium. The demand is led by Poland, who will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union Council from January 2025. Poland joins the Baltic States, Denmark, Ireland, Romania, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

This initiative aims to curtail Russia’s revenue from metal exports since it is a critical source of income after fossil fuels. Poland is playing a prominent role in it as it is expected to prioritise support for Ukraine.

Currently, the European Union has sanctions on some specific Russian aluminium products like wire, pipes, and foil, which account for less than 15 per cent of the bloc’s total metal imports. Like the United States and the United Kingdom, the European Union has yet not imposed restrictions on broader Russian metal producers. Therefore, the EU downstream aluminium manufacturers source a significant amount of primary aluminium from Russia.

To restrict the inflow of primary metal from Russia, the European Union introduced the 15th package of restrictive measures against Russia on December 16, targeting 54 individuals and 30 organisations, in a bid to weaken the country’s military-industrial complex.

However, the challenge is to bring together the agreement from all the 27 EU blocs, as some member states with significant reliance on Russian aluminium may resist broader sanctions against Russia. Before implementing the 15th package of measures, the European Union needs to secure alternative sources of aluminium.