Industry association European Aluminium has called on the European Union to introduce a targeted indirect ban on Russian aluminium in the bloc’s next sanctions package, warning that a significant loophole allows Russian primary metal to enter the EU market via third-country processing — undermining existing direct import sanctions and sustaining Russian export revenues.
The association’s #NoSecondPassport campaign argues that Russian primary aluminium can be sold to producers in third countries, processed into semi-finished or finished products, and then exported to the EU as goods originating from the processing country rather than Russia. European Aluminium says this circumvention places unfair competitive pressure on European producers that have already moved away from Russian supply, while generating almost $10 billion in export revenue for Russia last year.
Turkey is highlighted as the clearest example of the loophole in practice. Russia supplied approximately 20% of Turkey’s primary aluminium imports in 2025, making it Turkey’s second-largest supplier. The association also flags the Gulf supply crisis as a compounding risk: Turkey relied on Gulf countries for around 42% of its aluminium ingot imports in 2025, and the association warns that regional instability or further upward price pressure could push Turkey and other third countries to increase their reliance on discounted Russian supply.
European Aluminium is calling for the indirect ban to be backed by stronger enforcement mechanisms, including mandatory reporting of the first and second largest country of smelt and the last country of cast, enabling customs authorities to trace the upstream origin of aluminium entering the EU. The package would also include targeted customs checks on high-risk third-country imports, ongoing monitoring of import flows from countries known to import large volumes of Russian aluminium, and specific scrutiny of billets, extrusions and other semi-finished products.
The association frames the issue as a strategic autonomy concern, arguing that weakening Europe’s aluminium industrial base at a moment when the sector is increasingly tied to defence, clean energy and broader industrial resilience carries risks that extend well beyond commercial competition.
