In November 2023 alone, Russia's nuclear fuel exports to the US amounted to $96 million. The country, which is under multiple sanctions, has been the largest supplier of uranium to the US since May last year.
In addition to Russia, the UK and Japan are also major uranium suppliers to the US, with exports of $48.6 million and $44 million respectively in November 2023, while Belgium's was $2.4 million. The US's total uranium imports reached nearly $191 million in the same period.
San Onofre Nuclear Power Station in San Diego County, California, USA. (Photo: RT)
In an effort to reduce dependence on Russia's abundant uranium supplies, the US Department of Energy said last week that officials are seeking bids from contractors to build a domestic supply of highly enriched uranium for the next generation of reactors.
The US banned imports of Russian oil after the war between the country and Ukraine broke out in February 2022. The US and several Western countries imposed price caps on Russian crude oil and petroleum products transported by sea. However, so far, the US has not banned imports of Russian uranium.
Last month, the US House of Representatives passed a ban on Russian uranium imports as part of sanctions against Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine. The bill must now be passed by the US Senate before it can be signed by President Joe Biden.
If enacted, the bill would ban the import of uranium for use as fuel for nuclear reactors. However, the ban would be lifted if there is no alternative source of uranium to sustain the operation of nuclear reactors in the United States.
U.S. nuclear power plants imported about 12% of their uranium from Russia in 2022, compared with 27% from Canada and 25% from Kazakhstan, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Only about 5% of the uranium used in the U.S. during that period was sourced domestically.
Hoa Vu (Source: actualidad.rt.com)
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