Herndon, VA – U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) Director Sergey Kiriyenko signed a long-term suspension agreement governing trade in nuclear fuel. This agreement will provide U.S. utilities with a reliable supply of nuclear fuel by allowing Russia to export to the U.S., while minimizing any disruption to the United States’ domestic enrichment industry.

“The agreement will encourage bilateral trade in Russian uranium products for peaceful purposes,” said Gutierrez. “It will also help to ensure that U.S. utilities have an adequate source of enriched uranium for U.S. utility consumers. The Department of Commerce intends to implement the full effectiveness of the agreement.”

The agreement allows for the sale of Russian uranium products directly to U.S. utility companies under a quota for Russian exports during 2014 – 2020. The Russian Federation will also be able to export smaller quantities of uranium products during the years 2011 through 2013.

Prior to this agreement, Russia was unable to sell enriched uranium products to U.S. utilities. The agreement allows Russia to make direct sales of commercial Russian enriched uranium products to U.S. utilities, while minimizing any disruption in the development and completion of new enrichment facilities in the United States.

The agreement is the result of long and complex negotiations between the U.S. and the Russian governments.

The agreement was signed at Dulles International Airport to accommodate Secretary Gutierrez’s and Minister Kiriyenko’s traveling schedules.

Background

A suspension agreement is essentially a settlement of an ongoing dumping investigation. It suspends applicable dumping tariffs. Currently, the only Russian uranium product allowed into the United States for consumption in nuclear reactors is low-enriched uranium down-blended from bomb-grade material, which is sold indirectly to U.S. utilities via an agent of the U.S. government. To ensure an affordable source of energy and to facilitate investment in nuclear energy, the United States and Russia have now agreed to allow for direct sales of commercial Russian uranium products to U.S. utilities. The Department of Commerce and Rosatom officials initialed the draft agreement in November 2007 and released that draft for public comment. The agreement, which has been under negotiation for two years, permits Russia to supply 20 percent of U.S. reactor fuel until 2020 and to supply the fuel for new reactors quota-free. The agreement permits Russia to sell enriched uranium directly to U.S. utilities. After considering the comments received,  the Secretary of the Department of Commerce signed the finalized agreement with Rosatom.