Russia to increase domestic aluminum consumption by 300,000 tonnes in 2018.

Russia will boost domestic consumption of aluminum by 300,000 tonnes this year against the background of US sanctions, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov told reporters on Monday.

"We have about one million [tonnes of aluminum consumed in Russia in 2017 - TASS]. 300,000 tonnes will be added this year," Manturov said.

The domestic consumption volume can grow to 2.5 mln tonnes in five years, the minister added.

Domestic duties 

The increase of duties on road construction machinery from the US will not affect the national market, Manturov told reporters.

"We proceeded from and prepared the range of products we are manufacturing. Therefore, colleagues - consumers will always have an option: either to buy expensive but imported machines or to buy cheaper Russian ones," the minister said.

Following introduction of steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) duties by the United States in March 2018, Russia introduced additional import duties on US road construction machinery, oil and gas equipment and optic fiber with the rate from 25 to 40%


Source:
http://tass.com/economy/1012493