Russia resumes uranium exports to U.S.
Russia's Tenex—part of the state corporation Rosatom—renewed its low-enriched uranium exports to the United States in February, EA Daily reports. ImportGenius, a procurement tracking service, revealed that the Atlantic Navigator II ship delivered a hefty shipment to Baltimore on February 12. Specifically, the consignment included 15 tons for Westinghouse and an impressive 85 tons for Global Nuclear Fuel Americas. This shipment was facilitated by the acquisition of three special licenses granted to Tenex by Russian authorities—a fact confirmed by U.S. company Centrus Energy, which acknowledged using most of the procured material to fulfill a client’s order.
In 2023, estimates indicate that Russia exported around $1.2 billion worth of uranium products to the United States. Though not a top uranium producer, Russia commands over a third of the global conversion and enrichment market share, with Rosatom meeting up to 20% of the fuel needs for American nuclear power plants. Centrus Energy has warned that halting Russian supplies might severely impact its ability to deliver on commitments for providing finished nuclear fuel to U.S. plants. Concerns loom as Tenex intends to seek additional export licenses, amid uncertainty about their issuance or potential revocation by Russian authorities before shipment.
Notably, in August 2024, the U.S. imposed a ban on Russian uranium imports, allowing exceptions until a planned complete halt by 2028. In a counter-move, the Russian government, mid-November, imposed its own restrictions, permitting exports only via one-time licenses effective until December 31, 2025.