London, March 3 (Args) - Upgraded supply disruptions and serious financing challenges at some major ports in Russia are hindering the production of large quantities of metals in or exported through Russia, and end users are increasingly concerned about whether they will ship.Titanium, ferrotitanium, chromium, ferrochromium, cobalt, and nickel are all particularly vulnerable to transportation challenges. Since last week's Russian invasion of Ukraine, multiple market participants have expressed concerns about the transportation situation. These concerns may further drive up Rotterdam prices after yesterday's rise. Yesterday, the price of Russian and Western grade titanium iron rose to $10.60- $11.95 per kilogram, the price of metal chromium rose to $14000- $15000 per ton, and the price of cobalt rose to $35.85- $36.40 per pound.Maersk, CMA, and MSC - all three shipping companies jointly responsible for over half of the global container transportation business - suspended non essential business in and out of Russia earlier this week. According to data from shipping consulting company Alphaliner, out of 6337 container ships worldwide, they operate a total of 1965 container ships.Market participants pointed out that the port of St. Petersburg, Russia's largest metal export channel, experienced a large-scale supply interruption. A Russian ferrotitanium trader stated that they have stranded hundreds of tons of ferrotitanium at the port, and customers are unable to purchase ferrotitanium.St. Petersburg has other traders with similar issues, and last week's materials were waiting for payment at the port. Due to the lack of sea freight containers, it is currently unclear whether these titanium iron can still be shipped even if payment is successful.Some companies are also trying to avoid purchasing metal materials related to Russia to some extent, which has led to delays in long-term contract shipments and forced traders to reassign procurement.We are trying to avoid buying nickel from Russia. Some departments will make adjustments, but consumers are not yet proactive enough and the situation is very bad, "said a battery metal trader.We have taken measures earlier to minimize procurement from Russia. Of course, we will comply with the sanctions imposed. We are currently studying what this means, "said a spokesperson for Swedish steelmaker SSAB.Chromium and ferrochrome producers who receive chromium ore from Kazakhstan via Russian transit routes are also receiving attention. Due to bans imposed by some countries on containers from Russia, suppliers of these containers are expected to change their routes. A chromium iron producer operating in Central Europe and Russia has expressed concerns about its logistics situation, although it has not yet encountered force majeure.Import restrictions from recipient European countries also hinder the supply chain. The UK has banned Russian ships from entering UK ports, which has caused trouble for any importer who imports waste titanium, chromium ore, or nickel through Russia or from Russia or Central Europe. Two traders who have already shipped Russian waste to the UK have stated that they do not know if they will receive the goods when the waste arrives in Felixsto. Choosing a new transportation route and finding different transport ships is expected to increase the already inflated transportation costs. The delay has also hindered metal producers and traders, and materials are now subject to additional inspections.A European steel manufacturer said about their ferroalloy procurement, "Rotterdam Customs requires the provision of (consignment note) and certificate of origin, as well as double and triple inspections
