91.   A strike at a Western Platinum mine in South Africa combined with the continued freeze of Russian exports to Japan underpinned the price of these two precious metals.

92.   According to London trading house GNI, the metal reacted negatively to a report predicting higher-than-expected Russian exports.

93.   According to Rudolf Wolff, the nickel market is likely to become even more dependent on Russian exports than before.

94.   Any shortfall in Russian exports would push prices up sharply.

95.   But now, experts expect Russian exports to decline progressively due to a recovery of domestic demand.

96.   But this metal is less sensitive to the suspension of Russian exports.

97.   Dealers fear that a strike at the Norilsk plant would severely restrict Russian exports of nickel.

98.   Dealers cast off worries over a possible fall in Russian exports and instead turned their attention to the moribund state of the precious metals market.

99.   Experts said that while the sharp fall in the ruble was certain to unleash inflation, it would also probably help boost Russian exports.

100.   The West should also scrap Cold War-era restrictions on Russian exports of technology with a dual military-civilian use, he said.