The US House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly in favour of retaining sanctions on the Russian parent company of Aughinish Alumina in Co Limerick.
The vote is unlikely to have any impact because a similar resolution was defeated in the US Senate yesterday.
136 Republicans sided with Democrats, but the result is not expected to prevent the lifting of the sanctions.
In December, the US Treasury said it would end the sanctions that had been imposed on Rusal, the Russian parent company of Aughinish Alumina.
As part of the deal, Rusal agreed to reduce the ownership stake held by the oligarch, Oleg Deripaska.
Aughinish Alumina employs 460 staff, 200 contractors and indirectly supports hundreds of additional jobs, but there have been fears over the future of the plant because of the sanctions.
The Irish Government has been lobbying US officials to highlight the impact on Aughinish Alumina.
Earlier this month, a number of European ambassadors, including Ireland's representative in Washington Dan Mulhall, sent a letter to Congress urging members to support the lifting of sanctions.
In recent days, Democrats have voiced their opposition to the move, accusing the Trump administration of being soft on Russia.
Yesterday, they failed to secure enough votes in the Senate to block the lifting of sanctions despite the fact that eleven Republican senators went against their own party and sided with Democrats.
