Russia's 9-month 2009 aluminium, nickel exports fall

MOSCOW, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Russian aluminium and nickel exports fell in the first nine months of 2009 from year-ago levels due to weak demand caused by the global financial crisis, while copper exports rose, customs data showed on Friday. The government in February lifted a 5 percent export tariff on copper cathodes and nickel in an attempt to help Russia's largest producer, Norilsk Nickel , and other producers of the two metals. Russia expects from December to restore the nickel export tariff at a base rate of 5 percent, which will rise in line with international nickel prices. Aluminium exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totalled 2.57 million tonnes in January-September 2009, down 1.4 percent, year-on-year, the data showed. The data, which does not include all exports via neighbouring Belarus, showed the value of the exported metal fell 35.6 percent to $3.71 billion. Nickel exports to non-CIS countries fell 3.7 percent to 174,300 tonnes in the first nine months of 2009, while their value fell 43 percent. Refined copper export volumes to non-CIS countries nearly tripled to 369,200 tonnes and their value rose by 66 percent. (Reporting by Aleksandras Budrys)