Meanwhile, concentration is falling elsewhere: according to LME statistics, the share of Nickel stocks of Russian origin fell from 27% at the end of June to 24% at the end of July, and from 27% to 21% for Copper, Commerzbank’s commodity analyst Barbara Lambrecht notes.

Share of Russian Aluminium in LME stocks rises

“However, the main reason for this was an increase in stocks from other sources – probably also thanks to newly approved types of Nickel in Indonesia and China, while stocks of Russian material hardly changed following the tightening of sanctions in April.”

“The opposite is true for the more closely monitored Aluminium stocks: although stocks of Russian origin also hardly changed in July, Aluminium stocks of other origins registered on the LME fell, meaning that the proportion rose from 50% to 65%. The reduction in stocks occurred in particular for Aluminium from India, where there had been a significant build-up in May.”