The LME proposed removing its block on Rusal metal on Dec. 19, after the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) struck a deal with Rusal and two other firms tied to Oleg Deripaska to sever the Russian oligarch's control over them.

Rusal is the largest producer of aluminium outside China.

The LME said sanctions on the company were expected to be removed on or around Jan 18.

(Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Jan Harvey)