Russia to stop exporting titanium to Boeing in counter-sanctions against US – draft law

Russia's Federation Council is looking to adopt counter-sanctions against the US, under which the country may ban exports of titanium components to aircraft giant Boeing, according to Russian Senator Sergey Ryabukhin.

"Among the rare earth metals that Russia supplies to the United States is titanium, which is necessary for the technological cycle of production of Boeing," Ryabukhin told RIA Novosti.

Russia could also ban the supply of RD-180 engines used by NASA and the Pentagon, the senator added.

“These rocket engines are used not only by NASA, but also by the Pentagon on their satellites. It means the US uses these rocket engines to launch their military satellites," he said.

Earlier on Friday, Russian deputies announced an upcoming response to the American sanctions imposed last week. According to State Duma Vice Speaker Ivan Melnikov, the Russian response would include ending cooperation with the US in the nuclear industry, aircraft building and airspace.

“Russia is able ‘to annoy’ the US by stopping or severely restricting cooperation in outer space, or by cutting supplies of components for Boeing aircraft, [and] close the supply of titanium," said Petr Pushkarev, chief analyst of TeleTrade.

Under the proposed response by the Russian government, the US and its allies could also be banned from participating in Russian privatization deals. At the moment, the list of legal entities that can organize privatization transactions in Russia includes Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, UBS, Citi and several other foreign banks.

Russia may also limit the supply of drugs, tobacco and alcohol from the United States.

As of last year, 40 percent of Russian titanium aircraft parts were sold to Boeing and 60 percent to its European rival Airbus, according to a spokesman for Russia’s Rostec corporation.

“We have a joint venture with American Boeing. It is located in the Urals, in Verkhnyaya Salda, where products are manufactured using absolutely unique technologies. We supply not titanium, but finished titanium parts. And the know-how belongs to the Russian side,” Viktor Kladov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta at the time.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin will analyze the bill, but no definitive answer about its introduction can be given yet. "We need time to analyze the point of view of Russian lawmakers who initiated the bill, in order to formulate some position later," Peskov told journalists on Friday.