Russia mulls zero duty on primary aluminium imports

Russia's state commission on foreign trade safeguards on June 27 recommended setting a zero duty on primary aluminium imports for a period of nine months, the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry said. The import duty on non-alloyed aluminium is currently 10 percent of customs value.

The commission also recommended that the import duty on aluminium alloys, used to make beverage can strip, be halved from 20 percent to 10 percent.

United Company RusAl (UC RusAl), the world's biggest aluminium company, was formed at the end of March through a merger with Russia's Siberian-Urals Aluminium Company (SUAL) and the alumina-related assets of Switzerland's Glencore International AG.

An understanding to lower the import duty on aluminium was reached during the merger process. The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), when approving the merger, said that the import duty should be lowered in order to uphold competition and provide additional safeguards for the interests of Russian aluminium consumers.