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Chuck Schumer was among the Democrats seeking to block the lifting of sanctions Chris Kleponis/PA Images

'It's a relief for workers': US sanctions against Limerick company set to be lifted

Democrats failed in the Senate to block the lifting of sanctions against the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina.

THERE WAS GOOD news for the hundreds of employees at Limerick manufacturing firm Aughinish Alumina last night, after the US Senate voted against blocking the lifting of sanctions against its Russian parent company.

The US had previously imposed sanctions on companies it said was linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripraska. Included on this list was manufacturing giant Rusal, the parent company of Aughinish Alumina.

The Limerick-based company employs over 400 staff and also supports hundreds of indirect jobs in the area. Irish officials had been lobbying US officials to lift the sanctions which affected the firm since last April.

In December, the US Treasury said it would lift the sanctions, with Rusal agreeing to reduce the stake in it owned by Deripraska.

Democrats, however, attempted to block the lifting of these sanctions in the Senate yesterday. They needed 60 votes and, despite the support of 11 Republicans, but only got 57.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the agreement didn’t relinquish enough of Deripaska’s control and questioned whether Trump’s administration was doing Russia’s bidding.

“For a very long time the Republican Party predicated its foreign policy on taking a tougher line against Russia and Putin,” Schumer said on the Senate floor before the vote.

In so many campaigns for president, we Democrats were accused of not being tough enough on the Russians. … It seems that acquiescence to the president, a fear of breaking with the president, has held back too many of my Republican colleagues from supporting this resolution.

Despite the consternation of Democrats, the expected easing of sanctions that will now follow has been hailed as good news here in Ireland as it protects employees of Aughinish Alumina.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said: “We respect different views in US on sanctions, but our focus has always been on protecting jobs and livelihoods in Ireland and EU.”

Fine Gael TD Tom Neville called it a “relief for management and workers” at the company. 

With reporting from the Associated Press

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 8:19 AM

    Strange. I recall US Democrats being very irate at tariffs being placed on Chinese aluminium, insisting it would be consumers who would suffer as prices rose. Now those same people are opposing the lifting of sanctions on Russian aluminium following a US Treasury approved divestment, despite those sanctions causing global aluminium prices to soar since they were implemented, presumably to the detriment of those consumers the US Democrats claim to care so much for. A cynic might say they are just belligerent obstructionists. Great to see them defeated on this though, fantastic news for limerick.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:25 AM

    @Winston Smith: you understand that tariffs and sanctions are different things right?

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:33 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: you understand that the impact on consumers is identical right?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:36 AM

    @Winston Smith: In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on him and 23 other Russian nationals. In the statement from the United States Department of the Treasury it was stated that Deripaska “has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official, and taking part in extortion and racketeering”. According to the US treasury statement there are allegations that Deripaska ordered the murder of a businessman, and had links to a Russian organized crime group. In September 2018, the US Treasury extended the deadline for the start of sanctions against Deripaska until November 12 to review proposals submitted by Rusal and parent company EN+ to the US government. Glad people their jobs but this guy should be sanctioned.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:37 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: he is sanctioned David. Are you familiar with the word “divestment”?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:50 AM

    @Winston Smith: you do understand that the sanctions never came into effect and that it was only partial divestment

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:52 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: what impact did announcing the sanctions have on prices? What would the impact on prices have been had they been extended/enacted as per the Dem’s desire? And the divestment was deemed sufficient by the US Treasury, is your approval of the level of divestment also required?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:58 AM

    @Winston Smith: right so me saying this guy should be sanctioned somehow means I’m questioning the treasury which also still says this guy should be sanctioned but that two companies that he has sold some of his control in shouldn’t. Some logic you’ve got going for you there.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 11:03 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: it’s not my logic David, it’s the logic of the US Treasury who deemed his level of divestment in this company sufficient that it should not be subject to sanctions. Didn’t you read the article?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 11:05 AM

    @Winston Smith: I only ever said that he should be sanctioned and that I was glad nobody lost their jobs. Did you read my comments?

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 11:11 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: odd then that you would choose to post such opinions in direct reply to my original comment, which specifically criticised the US Democrats for lack of consistency and partisan obstructionism. Did you not feel your seemingly entirely unrelated observations could stand as an independent comment reply to the story?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 12:04 PM

    @Winston Smith: you mean my pointing out that your weighting of tariffs and sanctions as equals was incorrect?

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 12:14 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: not in terms of impact to consumers, the quoted motivation for the resistance to such tariffs by the Dems, it’s not, as I pointed out, and you ignored and instead began on your seemingly entirely related train of thought about sanctioned individuals. So, does it appear to you that impact to consumers was actually the primary motivation for resistance to tariffs on Chinese steel as was claimed by the US Democratic Party in light of the above story? That was the crux of my original comment that you felt the need to reply to, strangely given your above claim of commenting about something else entirely.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 12:55 PM

    @Winston Smith: see you’re focusing on the result, where you have a point but you are saying that no Democrat anywhere ever can suggest sanctions for any reason because they were opposed to steal tariffs. That’s absolute nonsense. I’m saying the person deserved to be punished and the way to do that would be through his business. Now he has reduced his share in the business and my point is the sanctions should be reduced accordingly. The difference with the tariffs is that they are meant to benefit the American people as their main objective, sanctions are meant to punish bad behaviour by companies/individuals.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 1:03 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: no, I’m not saying that no Democrat anywhere can even suggest sanctions. You can tell by the fact I haven’t said that, or even said anything similar to that. I’m questioning their stated motivation for challenging the tariffs on Chinese aluminium as in light of the above story it appears that cost to consumer of aluminium products is not a primary motivation. What’s more, this is now the second time I’ve reiterated that point, which means I have made the same point three times including my original comment, which I felt was quite clearly worded. Are you grasping what I’m saying now, or are there any particular words or phrases you’d like me to explain further, with finger puppets if necessary?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 1:55 PM

    @Winston Smith: again tariffs and sanctions are two entirely different things. What you’re saying is that because they believe the offences are worthy of sanction which as a side effect would increase the cost to the American people they must not have been opposed to tariffs on the basis of cost to the American people. It’s like saying being opposed to family separation means you can’t put parents in prison when they commit crimes because as a side effect it would separate a family. It’s two unrelated things that you’ve decided to connect.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jan 17th 2019, 2:09 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: they’re very much related David. Both increase the cost of the same specific product. The US Treasury set the terms by which sanctions would be activated on the products of the company in the article. Following review by that US statutory body it has been found that the company in question has satisfied the requirements set, and thus sanctions should not be enacted. The Democrats, in spite of their previously stated desire to protect aluminium consumer interests, have resisted and voted against the recommendation of the US Treasury. I believe this is partisanship and reveals a level of hypocrisy wrt their previous defence of aluminium consumer interests. I guess it could also mean they don’t trust US statutory bodies and are actively undermining them. Big if true.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 5:25 PM

    @Winston Smith: right so no matter how bad the guy is, once the treasury says its ok nobody can oppose it or their hypocrites trying to undermine established norms? By the way, Where’s your criticism of the republicans that voted with the dems? Are they guilty of partisanship as well?

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    Mute Mick Lally
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    Jan 17th 2019, 5:33 PM

    @Winston Smith: sanctions and tariffs are two very different things. A sitting US president, who is constantly telling anyone who will listen that he is the toughest president on Russia, ever. His prints are all over the lifting of these sanctions to keep his handlers in Moscow happy. Maybe the Irish government could do more thorough background checks on foreign companies wanting to do business here, before allowing them to open up here, so we’re not put in a position like this again.

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    Mute Ned O Mahony
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:03 AM

    Good Job the Clinten was not elected friends of Ireland what a joke what a joke

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    Mute Darren Norris
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:20 AM

    @Ned O Mahony: ….what?

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    Mute Wade Wilson
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:28 AM

    Oleg Deripraska had sanctions put on himself and his companies as he was tied to Putin ‘s inner circle and was being punished for their annexation of part of Ukraine. Is it really a good to celebrate this?

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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:25 AM

    @Wade Wilson: yes, it has secured a lot of livelihoods in limericks. we all can’t work in the services industry

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    Mute reabhloid
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:29 AM

    @Wade Wilson: the U.S has annexed many lands , also illegally occupying places like Syria along with their other invasions , making your point laughable

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 11:00 AM

    @Wade Wilson: In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on him and 23 other Russian nationals. In the statement from the United States Department of the Treasury it was stated that Deripaska “has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official, and taking part in extortion and racketeering”. According to the US treasury statement there are allegations that Deripaska ordered the murder of a businessman, and had links to a Russian organized crime group. That’s why he was sanctioned. There’s also his ties to Manafort which may come up again.

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    Mute Fergus
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    Jan 17th 2019, 12:24 PM

    Republicans have no issue passing the lifting of sanctions against Russians but still won’t pass opening the government. Hmmmmmmmmm….

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    Mute Paul
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    Jan 17th 2019, 1:30 PM

    @Fergus: Fund the wall and the government opens, simple. Democrats own the shutdown now. Moderate democrats turning against Nancy and chuck as the take these radical stances. # walkaway…

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    Mute Mick Lally
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    Jan 17th 2019, 5:40 PM

    @Paul: Fund that mans ego? Never! Democrats won’t cave, they’re in the driving seat now especially with the pressure on Mitch McConnell to vote against the president. He can’t hide forever, the slimy slug. The house has the power here, and I don’t think the Democrats are for caving to this president. Admittedly in the past what you said is exactly what would happen, but with such a large group of progressive, young Dems in the house I can’t see any Democrats turning against pelosi, they know that will be the end of their political career’s.

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    Mute Alan foggorty
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:19 AM

    This is a local shop for local people.There is nothing for you here. Ell-mit

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    Mute Simey Joyce
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    Jan 17th 2019, 5:07 PM

    Simon Coveney “were only interested in protecting jobs and livelihoods”.

    Not the environment apparently. The waste from the plant continues to be stored in a mass pit adjacent to the Shannon estuary creates the risk of a catastrophe.

    https://www.thejournal.ie/aughinish-alumina-investigation-618935-Oct2012/

    Seems nothing been done by the state to protect it… hush hush let’s not offend our Russian masters, would be best closed down.

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    Mute Pat tanner
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    Jan 17th 2019, 8:50 AM

    Well done Republican party. Democrats trying to jeopardise Irish jobs.

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