Yevgeny Bushmin, chairman of the Federation Council Budget Committee, said the amendments scrapped a provision in the current legislation whereby Russian producers may only export platinum and platinum group metals through the state-owned Almazjuvelirexport trade association.
He added that the current export scheme violates Russian antitrust laws and is at odds with the global trade system, weakening Russian platinum producers' positions on world markets.
Russia is the world's second-largest platinum producer after South Africa.
As of now platinum exports will be regulated through the existing tariff system, as well export licensing and customs procedures.
The lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved the amendments last Friday.
Last week, business daily Kommersant said Russia had begun developing major new platinum deposits for the first time since the Soviet era. Reserves at the Kievei field on north Russia's Kola Peninsula have been estimated at up to 250 metric tons, the paper said.
Earlier, Forbes said that Russian platinum supplies could decline this year to 855,000 ounces compared with 910,000 ounces in 2007.
