Russian palladium received US duties: local production is uncompetitive

The US Department of Commerce has imposed countervailing duties on imports of palladium from Russia. American production cannot compete with Norilsk Nickel, which once controlled the company from the USA, but sold it.

The US Department of Commerce has made a final decision and imposed countervailing duties on Russian palladium. This is reported by Interfax with reference to the agency.

The amount of the duty was set at 109.1%. It concerns, among other things, the Prioksky Non-ferrous Metals Plant and Ural Innovative Technologies JSC.

As the agency notes, at the end of April, the US Department of Commerce imposed an anti-dumping duty of 132.83% on Russian palladium, and in parallel, the International Trade Commission (ITC) is investigating the damage.

"If a countervailing duty is introduced, then according to the legislation it is charged retroactively, that is, from the moment the petition is received — from July 22 (2025)," said Anton Berlin, Vice president and head of the sales division of MMC Norilsk Nickel.

According to the US Department of Commerce, the import of Russian palladium to the US in 2024 was estimated at $ 878. The supply leader is Norilsk Nickel, which produces about 40% of all palladium in the world.

The anti-dumping and countervailing investigation of the US Department of Commerce began in August 2025 at the request of the American Sibanye-Stillwater and The United Steelworkers' Union. They stated that the Russian government provides palladium producers with compensatory subsidies, which is why the import of palladium to the United States causes significant damage to American industry. The purpose of the duties is to ensure the smooth operation of the Stillwater mine in Montana.

Norilsk Nickel estimates that the anti-dumping investigation in the United States will not affect its fundamental parameters in the long term. The Russian company itself owned Stillwater since 2002, but sold it in 2010. Norilsk Nickel estimated last year that palladium mining is unprofitable in North America at current prices.

Palladium is considered a strategically important metal, as it is used, for example, in military and aerospace engineering and electronics.