The U.S. Treasury Department placed Russian businessman Oleg
Deripaska and Rusal, which he controls, on a blacklist that
month, freezing the bulk of the company`s exports, paralysing
its supply chain and scaring off many customers.
The sanctions caused major disruptions to global aluminium
markets, although Rusal`s international customers were given
until Oct. 23 to wind down business with the company.
En+ Group , Deripaska`s holding company, is also
under sanctions.
Industry sources told Reuters in June that Rusal will take a
major hit if sanctions are not lifted by late August. In July,
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States
was in productive talks with Rusal to remove it from the list. Manturov, speaking to reporters in the town of Novosibirsk
in Siberia, said on Tuesday that Moscow had a back-up plan if
sanctions against Rusal persist.
"There might be (aluminium purchases for the state stocks)
but for now, there is no such need," he said, providing no other
details.
Deripaska controls 66 percent of En+ Group, which in turn
controls 48 percent of Rusal. He has already accepted that he
may have to cede control of En+, if both En+ and Rusal are to
survive, a source familiar with the matter said in May. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Katya Golubkova;
Editing by Tom Hogue)