Platinum shipments under long-term contracts will resume in July, but there have been no sales offers for palladium from Russia, they said. Russia is ready to sell supplies of platinum ingots and sponge to Japanese customers from the nation's biggest platinum group metals producer, Norilsk Nickel the traders said.

Russia did not mention palladium exports, they said. Talks between Japan and Russia on a platinum group metal (PGM) supply contract for 1998 have been suspended since the start of this year due to Russia's internal problems. Russia shipped some palladium sponge to Japanese traders on a spot basis in early June, but did not make sales offers for palladium ingot.