Home - News - Putin: Explore the opportunity for joint exploration of rare earth metal deposits in Russia and the resumption of aluminum exports to the United States
Putin: Explore the opportunity for joint exploration of rare earth metal deposits in Russia and the resumption of aluminum exports to the United States
February 25, 2025
According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the United States the opportunity to jointly explore the country's rare earth metal deposits and supply aluminum to the U.S. domestic market. Within two hours of US President Donald Trump saying there would be a "major economic development deal" with Russia, Putin chaired a meeting on rare earth metals with ministers and economic advisers.
According to the US Geological Survey, Russia has the world's fifth-largest reserves of rare earth metals, after China, Brazil, India and Australia.
Putin noted that if the U.S. market is reopened, Russian companies could supply up to 2 million tons of aluminum per year to the U.S. market. Before the imposition of prohibitively imposed tariffs in 2023, Russian aluminum accounted for 15 percent of U.S. aluminum imports.
Putin said joint projects could also be extended to the energy sector, where some Russian and American companies have already been in contact. But he gave no details.
Putin also suggested that Russia and the United States could cooperate in hydroelectric power generation and aluminum production in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia. The region is home to the headquarters of RUSAL, Russia's largest aluminum producer.
Note: In 2024, China imported 112.9 tons of primary aluminum from Russia, accounting for 47.2% of China's total imports
