OREANDA-NEWS The United States and the United Kingdom have imposed a ban on the importation of certain metals from Russia into the warehouses of two major exchanges, the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Stock Exchange (CME). According to reports from the Russian media outlet Kommersant, the ban will take effect on April 14th for shipments of aluminum, copper, and nickel.

However, the US Treasury has indicated that in certain cases, exceptions may be made to the ban for imports of these metals. The regulations will apply to shipments released after April 13th, but there may be exceptions in specific circumstances.According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2024, the country only imported $105,000 worth of aluminum. In 2021, copper imports totaled $100 million, nickel - $158 million, and aluminum - $612 million. As a result, in 2023 aluminum imports decreased to $44 million, nickel to $26 million, and copper to $53,000. The Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, described the U.S. sanctions on three Russian metals - copper, nickel, and aluminum - as a political move. He said it was not just a "shot in the leg", but "indiscriminate shooting".