Biden signs bill to ban U.S. imports of Russian uranium

Washington, May 13 (Reporter Deng Xianlai) U.S. President Biden signed a bill on the 13th to ban the United States from importing low-enriched uranium produced in Russia.

Jack Sullivan, U.S. National Security Assistant to the President, issued a statement on the same day saying that Biden signed the “Ban the Import of Russian Uranium Act” and made it law, aiming to reduce and ultimately eliminate the U.S. dependence on Russia in the civil nuclear energy field.

The bill has previously been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. According to regulations, 90 days after the bill takes effect, U.S. companies will not be allowed to import low-enriched uranium produced in Russia. The bill provides exemptions for utilities such as nuclear power plants that have to shut down nuclear reactors due to cutting off Russia’s uranium supply. The exemption policy will expire no later than January 1, 2028. The bill also authorizes the federal government to allocate $27.2 billion in funding previously approved by Congress to enhance the U.S. domestic uranium enrichment capabilities.

According to the Washington Post, U.S. companies currently import about US$1 billion worth of enriched uranium from Russia’s national atomic energy every year.