Last week, the US Treasury Department announced the United States is prohibiting the imports of aluminum, copper, and nickel of Russian origin. In addition, the Treasury said the London Metal Exchange and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are prohibited from accepting aluminum, copper, and nickel produced by Russia.
"The determination to limit the acceptance of new Russian aluminum on global exchanges could have an impact on the trade of aluminum as a global commodity," the trade group said on Friday.
The Aluminum Association said that although it is still reviewing the specifics of the ban, it does support the decision.
The trade group noted that Russia accounts for less than 1% of total US aluminum imports at present, so the ban's direct impact on US aluminum supply should be "minimal."
Many US aluminum companies have diversified away from Russian imports since sanctions were first placed, and later lifted, on aluminum in 2018, the trade group noted.