Biden signs bipartisan bill banning imports of Russian uranium
Source: The Guardian
Mon 13 May 2024 22.07 EDT
Joe Biden has signed into law a bipartisan bill that bans the import of enriched uranium from Russia, in the latest effort by Washington to apply further pressure on Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine. The ban on imports of the fuel for nuclear power plants begins in about 90 days, although it allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue waivers in case of supply concerns, up until 2028.
Russia is the world’s top supplier of enriched uranium and about 24% of the enriched uranium used by US nuclear power plants come from the country.
In the weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House banned the import of Russian oil and gas, in an effort to cut off sources of foreign revenue to Russia. Since then, the US and its allies have imposed further sanctions on Russia and its vast energy industry.
The delay in banning Russian uranium was, in part, driven by the US’s reliance on Russian imports and fears that the country’s 93 nuclear reactors could be disrupted by a lack of fuel. While the US is the largest market for nuclear fuels, its current domestic enrichment capacity can supply just 30% of the fuel required by its dozens of reactors, a US House report on the newly passed legislation said.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/13/biden-russian-uranium-imports-ban
Link to White House STATEMENT - Statement From National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Signing of the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act into Law
