U.S. President Joe Biden's ban on American imports of Russian oil and other energy products, announced on Tuesday, does not include a ban on imports of uranium for nuclear power plants, a source familiar with the matter said, Reuters reports.
The U.S. power industry relies on Russia and its allies Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for roughly half of the uranium powering its nuclear power plants. The industry has been lobbying the White House to continue to allow uranium imports from Russia despite Moscow's special military operations in the neighboring Ukraine.
There is no U.S. uranium production or processing, though several companies have said they would like to resume domestic production in Texas or Wyoming if nuclear power producers sign long-term supply contracts.
A White House document released after Biden announced the oil ban and summarizing the Russian sanctions did not mention uranium, confirming reporting from Reuters.
Russia's uranium production is controlled by Rosatom, a state-run company formed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007. The company is an important source of revenue for Moscow, and exempting U.S. uranium imports is likely to fuel continued questions about how American businesses are financially supporting Russia's economy.
