WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. ban on imports of enriched uranium from Russia will take effect on Aug. 11, the Department of Energy said on Tuesday.
The ban, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Monday, allows waivers in case nuclear power plants have supply issues. The waivers will end on or before Jan. 1, 2028.
It was the latest move by Washington aimed at reducing revenues available to Russian President Vladimir Putin to fight the war in Ukraine.
The law also frees up $2.7 billion for the United States to beef up its domestic uranium fuel industry.
“Our nation’s clean energy future will not rely on Russian imports,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a news release. “We are making investments to build out a secure nuclear fuel supply chain here in the United States.”
Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, said after Biden signed the bill that Washington’s move is leading to shocks in global economic relations, but will not bring the desired results.
“The delicate balance between exporters and importers of uranium products is being disrupted,” the Russian embassy in Washington cited Antonov as saying on Monday a post on its Telegram messaging channel.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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