|

Aluminum climbs as EU readies ban on Russian imports – ING

Aluminum rose in yesterday’s trading after reports of the EU proposing a phased ban on imports of Russian Aluminum to the bloc. The proposal calls for an import quota for a year before the complete ban comes into effect. The plan would allow European buyers to import 275,000 metric tons of the Russian metal under a quota system for one year before a full ban comes into effect, ING's commodity experts Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson note.

China is importing half of its Aluminum imports from Russia

"Although the EU continues to import Russian Aluminum, volumes have fallen over the past two years. The EU imported more than 320kt of unwrought Aluminum from Russia in the first 11 months of 2024, accounting for around 6% of total imports, a relatively small fraction of the global Aluminum market. This is down from 11% in 2023 and 19% in 2022."

"The gap left by Russian supplies has mostly been filled by imports from the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia and this trend is likely to continue. The US and the UK banned the import of metals produced in Russia in 2024. The EU has so far banned Aluminum products, including wire, tube, pipe and foil, which account for less than 15% of EU imports."

"Meanwhile, Russia has steadily increased sales to Asian consumers over the last three years, particularly China. China is now importing half of its Aluminum imports from Russia. We expect this trend to continue in 2025."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD softens below 1.1750 after Fed Minutes

The EUR/USD pair attracts some sellers near 1.1745 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The US Dollar edges higher against the Euro after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's December meeting. The US Initial Jobless Claims report will be released later in the day. Trading volumes are expected to remain thin ahead of the New Year holidays.

GBP/USD trades flat above 1.3450 amid thin trading volume

The GBP/USD pair holds steady around 1.3465 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday. However, the Bank of England guided that monetary policy will remain on a gradual downward path, which might underpin the Cable against the US Dollar. Financial markets are expected to trade on thin volumes as traders prepare for the New Year holiday.

Gold stable above $4,350 as the year comes to an end

Gold price got to recover some modest ground on Tuesday, holding on to intraday gains and changing hands at $4,360 a troy ounce in the American afternoon. The bright metal showed no reaction to the release of the FOMC December meeting minutes.

Ethereum: ETH holds above $2,900 despite rising selling activity

Ethereum (ETH) held the $2,900 level despite seeing increased selling pressure over the past week. The Exchange Netflow metric showed deposits outweighed withdrawals by about 400K ETH. The high value suggests rising selling activity amid the holiday season.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).