New EU sanctions will apply to supplies of manganese ore and aluminum oxide to Russia – Latvian authorities
The next, fourteenth, package of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia contains a ban on the export of manganese ore and aluminum oxide to Russia, Latvian Finance Minister Arvil Asheradens said on social media.
The measure is included in the sanctions package at Latvia's proposal, he said.
The minister said that EU member countries would hold consultations to approve the package as soon as possible.
As reported, Latvia proposed in March to include a ban on the export and transit of raw materials used in the defense industry, manganese ore and aluminum oxide, in a new package of EU sanctions. The Latvian Foreign Ministry said that Riga considers the introduction of a ban at the EU level to be the most effective tool for limiting the flow of goods, which could strengthen Russia's potential in the war with Ukraine.
The European Union has agreed on 13 packages of sanctions against Russia since February 2022. The last of them was approved on February 23. The sanctions list included 106 individuals and 88 legal entities. The new package of sanctions includes provisions for the expansion of restrictions on the export of a number of goods that are required for the production of drones. In particular, the EU has introduced a ban on the export of electronic transformers, static converters and inductors that can be used as components in UAVs.
In addition, a ban has been introduced on the supply of aluminum capacitors, which can be used in the military field.