Biden-Harris Administration Enacts Law Banning Importation of Russian Uranium

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law H.R.1042, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act. The passage and signing of this law will ensure the U.S. will no longer be reliant on imported uranium fuel from the Russian Federation. It will ban the import of Russian uranium and revive domestic nuclear fuel production by unlocking $2.72 billion recently appropriated by Congress, at the request of the President, to expand our domestic uranium enrichment and conversion capacity.

“Our nation’s clean energy future will not rely on Russian imports,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “We are making investments to build out a secure nuclear fuel supply chain here in the United States. That means American jobs supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to a clean, safe, and secure energy economy.”

This announcement represents another decisive step forward by the Biden-Harris Administration to sever U.S. dependence on Russian material and secure a strong domestic fuel supply to support our Nation’s clean energy assets.

The new law takes effect on August 11, 2024. Recognizing that in the near term, implementing the ban could disrupt the operations of nuclear reactors, the law authorizes the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, to waive the prohibition and permit the import of Russian uranium if an applicant can show that it has no alternative viable source of uranium or that such imports are in the national interest. Any waiver by the Secretary of Energy is subject to annual aggregate limits and will terminate on or before January 1, 2028.

The implementation of the ban in conjunction with appropriations delivers on multilateral efforts to spur the development of a secure global nuclear energy fuel supply. Last December, the U.S. led a commitment with our allies and partners to collectively invest $4.2 billion to establish a resilient global uranium supply market free from Russian influence. With the passage of this law this commitment has already been eclipsed in partnership with the efforts of France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada.

You can learn more about the Administration’s efforts to secure the U.S. nuclear fuel supply here.