Japan Restricts Exports of Copper and Turbines to Russia Starting October 16

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa announced additional export restrictions on Russia, covering industrial goods such as plastics, copper, gas turbines, and tungsten, according to Brazilian website "Diário do Grande ABC".

Under these measures, Japan amended the "Foreign Trade Control Order," with the restrictions entering into force on October 16, 2026. Tungsten refers to a hard metal used in heavy industries and cutting tools, and is among the materials subject to strict global export controls. These goods are subject to export controls in several advanced economies due to their dual-use industrial applications.

Akazawa stated that Japan will continue to cooperate with G7 countries on this issue. The move comes as part of a wave of restrictions coordinated by the Western alliance on exports of dual-use industrial goods and materials to Moscow.

These restrictions are expected to raise the cost of acquiring essential industrial inputs for Russia and to realign supply routes toward other suppliers. Base metal markets, including copper, view these restrictions as a factor that may exert pressure on prices and availability in Asian and European markets in the coming period.

What do these terms mean?

Gas turbine: A machine that converts the energy of burning gas into rotational motion used to generate electricity and drive compressors.

Tungsten: An extremely hard, heat-resistant metal used in cutting tools, heavy industries, and alloys.

Foreign Trade Control Order: Japanese legislation specifying goods and technologies that require a license before being exported to certain countries.

Group of Seven (G7): An alliance comprising major industrial economies, coordinating economic policies and sanctions among its members.