Christian Mabey, Managing Director, Optima Products, looks at the issue of how Russian aluminium is bypassing sanctions and entering the UK market via third-party vendors from Eastern Europe and beyond.
Both the Conservative and Labour Parties have taken a tough public stance on sanctions against Russia. However, I fear that this stance has remained superficial and doesn’t fully address the deeper issues at play.
Let me explain. The Russia-Ukraine War is still causing major disruption to supply chains, particularly within the global metals markets. As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and installers of aluminium-framed glass partitions, we’re a primary user of the material and as such, have an acute interest on market developments.
When I last checked, Russia, which is currently subject to an import ban imposed by the London Metal Exchange, accounts for 5.6% of the world’s aluminium exports. It sound small but it’s actually a substantial amount of the material.
You can appreciate that its removal from the mix has caused a major headache for many UK businesses. However, the good news is there are many other sources to draw from, responsibly smelted and processed in countries not engaging in illegal conflicts. For example, we source our aluminium from Norwegian manufacturer Norsk Hydro, one of the most sustainable operators in the industry.
However, not all players in the construction sector are choosing non-Russian metals for their products, a challenge that extends to other industries like food and aerospace.
Recently, I’ve been hearing reports of Russian aluminium coming in through the back door, from third-party vendors in Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Far East. Of course, there’s an immediate and massive moral issue here. The increased influx of Russian stock into these shores likely contributes to sustaining the pariah state’s war machine
I should be surprised, but I’m not. The inherent characteristics of the material and its current management within the supply chain make it susceptible to ambiguity regarding the origin of aluminium logs.
Essentially, when you’re not procuring products directly from a manufacturer, you have no guarantee that what you’re getting has been ethically handled. Not only that, when you buy from States which have not signed-up to a Russian import ban, you run the risk of purchasing aluminium originally procured from that country.
I could also use the opportunity to talk about the lack of correct carbon information that accompanies this ‘anonymous’ aluminium, but that’s for another article. I think in this instance, it’s about dealing with the main issue at hand – that we need to put a stop to this unacceptable situation now.
I don’t want to diminish the work already done within the UK to ban imports; however, other parts of the world have been slower to catch-up. Many are still buying Russian aluminium knowingly, or unknowingly. But our industry and the Government need to do more to raise awareness of the loopholes which exist in our trade agreements with those countries that haven’t introduced restrictions on Russian aluminium.
Whilst it will be tricky to address this overnight, I do believe we can enact some positive change here and now, starting with clear guidelines to aluminium purchasers as well as checks and balances which must be carried out before any contract is signed or money changes hands. As they say, forearmed is forewarned, and a behavioural shift will, in the short term, increase the likelihood of companies choosing to buy aluminium from nations which don’t continue to commercially engage with Russia.
I know there are many others who share my view, and I want to leave this with a call to action to engage with organisations like ALFED, CAB, and the IAI as well as our policymakers to affect this small but significant aim. Yes, it might seem modest, but it represents a crucial next step as we seek to halt Russian aluminium coming into this country from parts known and unknown.
About the author
Christian Mabey, Managing Director, Optima Products
Christian joined Optima in 2006 and has played a central role in the business for over a decade, particularly in expanding the Optima brand beyond Greater London.
With a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Christian brings over 20 years of experience in Business Development and Commercial Operations within the design and manufacturing sectors. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Christian’s initial focus at Optima was on building a nationwide network of Dealer Partners, which has been instrumental in establishing Optima as the specifier’s system of choice across the UK. He achieved this by developing regional networks that offer nationwide access to Optima’s market-leading acoustic partitioning solutions.
Currently, Christian oversees Optima’s manufacturing and design facilities in both the UK and Asia. In this role, he works closely with Optima Products’ Senior Management Team and our supply and delivery partners to continue positioning Optima as a world-class manufacturer.
Christian, like all Optima staff, takes immense pride in the innovative solutions the company delivers. He thrives on the daily challenges posed by demanding project requirements and is committed to pushing the boundaries of quality and development to ensure Optima consistently meets global market expectations.
