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Rare metals and rare earths
Rare earths of a lanthanum subset, or lanthanides, are applied in production of permanent magnets, in iron and steel industry and non-ferrous metallurgy, in nuclear, electronic, chemical and other industries. |
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Non-metals
Non-metals are chemical elements that form simple elements with no
metal-specific qualities. Non-metals typically include 22 elements: gases - hydrogen,
nitrogen,
oxygen, fluor, chlorine and inert gases; liquids - bromine; solids - boron, carbon,
silicon, phosphorus,
arsenic, sulphur,
selenium, tellurium, iodine, astatine. |
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Chinese imports force SUAL to curtail silicon production |
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Russia's SUAL aluminium group has had to reduce silicon output due to growing imports from China.
Alexander Skornyakov, SUAL's vice president and director for silicon and aluminium powders, told Interfax that Russia was producing 69,700 tonnes of silicon in 2002 but expected to produce just 51,300 tonnes in 2006, which suggests that Chinese producers are sidelining Russian producers on their own market.
Russia imported 10,300 tonnes of Chinese silicon in 2002, but just 8,000 tonnes in 2004 after imposing an 8%-import duty. These imports are expected to soar to 18,000 tonnes in 2006, however.
Skornyakov said demand for Russian silicon fell 20% between 2004 and 2006 to 28,000 tonnes from 35,000 tonnes. But demand for Chinese silicon had more than doubled in the same period, to 18,000 tonnes from 8,000 tonnes. Customs statistics indicate that China accounts for more than 97% of Russia's silicon imports.
"Russian silicon imports have soared 125% in 2005-2006, if we include this year's contract season," Skornyakov said. "Russian silicon production is decreasing as the domestic market increases – Russian enterprises will consume around 46,000 tonnes of silicon in 2006, up from 28,600 tonnes in 2002.
Skornyakov said SUAL could meet Russia's entire demand for silicon. It produced 58,000 tonnes of silicon in 2005. SUAL's CJSC Kremnii produced 32,000 tonnes and SUAL-Kremnii-Ural produced 26,000 tonnes.
"It would not take extraordinary measures or budgeted money to protect the Russian silicon producer. All the government needs to do is to reinstate the customs regime that existed in 2002-2004 and introduce a 20% import duty on silicon similar to the measures taken in the United States and European Union," Skornyakov said.
The United States has imposed a 67% duty against Russian silicon and 139% against Chinese silicon. The EU has imposed safeguard duties of 38% against Russian silicon and 49% against Chinese silicon. These measures too have been responsible for the drop in production at SUAL. "They stop us from developing this business effectively, from cutting costs and expanding our range of silicon," Skornyakov said.
Russia imposed a 20% duty in November 2003 because China was selling silicon at dumping prices. "And although that measure was only in effect for nine months, it did allow us to modernize silicon production, expand the product range and increase production of market silicon," Skornyakov said. The abolition of this safeguard duty brought silicon production at the Bratsk aluminium smelter to a halt and caused SUAL's units to stop some of their furnaces, he said. back |
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