S.Amdt. 6701

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Daines, aims to add a new section (Section 111A) to bill S. 4784. Its primary purpose is to stop the import of specific minerals from the Russian Federation and establish sanctions against the Russian mining industry.

Import Prohibitions

The amendment would ban the import of the following minerals if they are produced by the Russian Federation, a Russian entity, or obtained to avoid these rules:

• Platinum (including palladium, braggite, rhodium, and ruthenium)
• Nickel
• Copper (including zinc)

This ban starts 90 days after the Act is passed and ends one year after the President tells Congress that the Russian Government has ended all hostilities against Ukraine.

Sanctions on the Mining Industry

The amendment requires the President to impose sanctions if certain determinations are made regarding the actions of the Russian Government, its proxies, or specific officials and entities. These sanctions target:

• Nornickel: Directors, officers, shareholders, and any foreign person or government that knowingly buys or sells nickel sourced from Nornickel or the Russian Federation.
• Other Mining Entities: Any mining company where a majority owner is already subject to U.S. sanctions related to the Russian Federation.

Sanction Details and Consequences

The sanctions include:

• Property Blocking: Blocking all property and interests in property located in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons.
• Travel Restrictions: Making targeted individuals inadmissible to the U.S., making them ineligible for visas, and revoking any current visas immediately.