Russia's 11-mo 2009 aluminium, nickel exports fall

MOSCOW, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Russian aluminium and nickel exports fell in the first 11 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 Tuesday. The government in February removed 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 has restored the nickel tariff from this year. Aluminium exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totalled 3.20 million tonnes in January-November 2009, down 2.0 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 33.3 percent to $4.58 billion. Nickel exports to non-CIS countries fell 4.1 percent to 220,800 tonnes in the first 11 months of 2009, while their value fell 33.4 percent. Refined copper export volumes to non-CIS countries rose 157.8 percent to 463,600 tonnes and their value rose by 88.5 percent. The Federal Customs Service gave the following data for Russian aluminium, nickel and copper exports in January-November: 2009 2008 Tonnes $ mln Tonnes $ mln Aluminium Total 3,227,300 4,622.0 3,158,800 6,928.7 Non-CIS** 3,202,900 4,584.4 3,138,400 6,878.1 CIS 24,400 37.6 20,400 50.6 Nickel Total 221,000 3,161.6 230,900 4,760.1 Non-CIS 220,800 3,158.0 230,300 4,742.3 CIS 200 3.6 600 17.8 Copper Total 465,100 2,210.0 181,900 1,182.9 Non-CIS 463,600 2,203.7 179,800 1,168.8 CIS 1,500 6.3 2,100 14.1 * FCS data does not include all trade with Belarus ** CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States includes 11 republics of the former Soviet Union. (Reporting by Aleksandras Budrys, editing by Anthony Barker)