US President Joe Biden has approved a law passed in Congress to ban imports of uranium mined in Russia, the White House said.
“On Monday, 13 May 2024, the President signed into law H.R. 1042 ‘Russian Uranium Import Ban Act’, which prohibits imports of non-irradiated, low-enriched uranium produced in the Russian Federation or by a Russian entity,” the White House said in a publication on its website.”
Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, believes the law will help strengthen “energy and economic security” of the United States by reducing “dependence on Russia for civilian nuclear energy”.
He believes the recently allocated $2.72 billion to this area “will provide a boost to new enrichment capacity in the U.S. and a clear signal to industry that we are committed to long-term growth in our nuclear sector.”
The law will take effect 90 days after it is signed into law. Until January 2028, the US Department of Energy will be able to issue import permits from Russia if no other sources of supply are available. The restriction will be in force until 2040.
Earlier, the US authorities said that they retain the right to continue purchasing uranium from Russia until 1 January 2028 or later if the supplies meet the country’s “national interests”.
