US Commerce Dept gives initial backing to Sibanye-Stillwater's call for tariffs on Russian palladium

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Sibanye-Stillwater's telephone for U.S. tariff connected Russian palladium imports has received preliminary enactment from the U.S. Commerce Department, ‌although a last determination is not expected until mid-2026, the miner ‌said connected Friday.

Sibanye-Stillwater, which has accumulation assets successful South Africa and the U.S., asked Washington ​in July to enforce a tariff connected Russian palladium imports to enactment the semipermanent viability of U.S. supplies.

Trade information indicates that planetary flows person already begun to reroute since the institution filed its petition, with South African producers gaining successful ‌the U.S. market, but ⁠losing stock to Russian palladium successful China.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Commerce said the preliminary uncovering from its probe ⁠was that dumping was taking place, citing a "preliminary weighted-average dumping complaint margin" of 132.83% for palladium from Russia.

The last decision, expected successful June, volition besides travel investigations ​by the ​U.S. International Trade Commission.

The preliminary uncovering ​is encouraging for Sibanye-Stillwater arsenic "Russia's palladium ‌dumping" has resulted successful a worldly competitory disadvantage to U.S. producers, Chief Executive Richard Stewart said successful a statement.

The Johannesburg-based miner posted a nonaccomplishment of $211 cardinal successful the archetypal fractional of 2025.

Russia's Nornickel, the world's largest palladium shaper with a 40% stock of planetary mined output, declined to comment.

Highlighting the ‌shift successful commercialized patterns, U.S. palladium imports from ​South Africa roseate 22% to 31 metric ​tons successful January-November 2025, portion ​deliveries from Russia, its second-largest supplier, fell 14% to 23 ‌tons, according to Trade Data Monitor.

For ​Russia, shipments to China - ​its second-largest palladium export marketplace aft the U.S. - jumped 42% to 22 tons implicit the aforesaid period, portion China's imports from South Africa ​fell 11% to 6 ‌tons.

Prices for palladium, utilized to cleanable exhausts successful gasoline vehicles, roseate ​76% successful 2025 amid a wider rally successful precious metals.

(Reporting by ​Polina Devitt. Editing by Mark Potter)