The US may completely ban the import of aluminum from russia

The White House is considering a complete ban on the import of russian aluminum because of missile strikes on Ukraine.

The US government is considering three options for sanctions: a direct ban on the import of aluminum from russian federation; raising tariffs to a level at which it will be impossible to import products; sanctions against the largest russian aluminum producer, Rusal.

A White House official said all options were being considered, but there was no immediate progress on the matter, Bloomberg reported.

At the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration refrained from imposing sanctions against russian aluminum. The restrictions could disrupt global product suppliers.

Aluminum has long been protected from sanctions because of its importance in everything from cars and skyscrapers to iPhones. If the White House dares to impose an import ban, consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere will be forced to scramble to find substitutes for the metal.

Russia is the world’s second producer of aluminum (after China). In August, russia was the third largest exporter of aluminum to the United States.