Russian govt extends ban on export of precious metal scrap for another 6 months

MOSCOW. May 18 (Interfax) - The temporary ban on exporting waste and scrap of precious metals from Russia has been extended for another six months, from June 1 to November 30, 2026, the government's press service said.

Under the restrictions, the export of waste and scrap will be prohibited not only for precious metals, but also for metals clad with precious metals. The export of waste and scrap of electrical and electronic products used mainly for extracting precious metals that are important for the country's domestic market will also be suspended.

As before, the ban will not apply to exports of cathode antimony in ingots, as well as samples taken from batches of scrap and waste of precious metals exported by refining organizations. The weight of one sample must not exceed 500 g per single consignment, regardless of the number of such consignments under a foreign trade contract.

Similar temporary restrictions have been in place since 2022, with the most recent valid until May 31, 2026.

These measures make it possible to increase the capacity utilization of Russian refining enterprises by attracting significant amounts of secondary raw materials for processing and producing precious metals, the press service said.