Hydro says Qatalum may opt for direct shipments to unblock exports

OSLO (Reuters) - Qatari aluminum firm Qatalum may start direct shipments of metals from its plant to unblock exports halted by a regional diplomatic row, a spokesman for Norway's Norsk Hydro said. Until now, the aluminum has been exported by ships from Qatar to the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, where it was transferred to larger vessels for exports to customers in Asia, Europe and the United States. The UAE port was no longer available after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and other broke off relations with Qatar on Monday. In addition to direct shipments, other export options may include the use of a different regional hub, the Hydro spokesman said. Hydro owns a 50 percent stake in Qatalum. (Reporting by Joachim Dagenborg, editing by Terje Solsvik)