US doubles uranium purchases from Russia compared to last year

In May, the United States increased its purchases of uranium from Russia to the highest level in recent years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics.

In the first half of the year, the United States bought 416 tons of uranium from Russia, which is twice as much as in the same period last year. The value of these deliveries amounted to $696.5 million, which is the highest figure since 2002. Russia remains the United States' most important supplier of enriched uranium despite sanctions on other energy commodities over the conflict in Ukraine.

Enriched uranium is needed to run civilian nuclear reactors in the United States. The main suppliers, in addition to Russia, are the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Canada.

The US dependence on Russian uranium has deep roots, as US enrichment facilities have been were closed due to lower import costs from Russia. Despite efforts to increase domestic production, the United States remains heavily dependent on Russian supplies.

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