US continues to buy Russian nuclear fuel

By Rhod Mackenzie

In November last year, Russia became the primary exporter of uranium to the United States, replacing Germany and France as suppliers to the Americans. Additionally, Japan also replaced its supplies to the US. At the end of 11 months of 2023, the United States purchased the largest amount of fuel from Russia since 2010, according to RIA Novosti's analysis of open data.

According to the American statistical service, in November 2023, the United States purchased uranium fuel from only four countries: Russia, Great Britain, Japan, and Belgium, for a total of almost $191 million. Russia was the main exporter, supplying $96 million. Britain accounted for a quarter of shipments in November ($48.6 million), Japan for 22% (almost $44 million), and Belgium for 1.3% ($2.4 million).

Previously, Russia was the top supplier in May, providing uranium worth $177 million.
In November, the cost of radioactive fuel supplies from the Russian Federation increased by almost half compared to October. Russia had been ranked 2-4 in terms of uranium supplies to the United States for several months prior to this. The United States imported uranium worth $63 million from the Russian Federation in October, $32 million in September, $50.4 million in August, and almost $61 million in July.

In November, Japan supplied uranium to the United States for the first time since July 2022, partially replacing imports from Germany and France that had stalled after September 2023. Last year, France and Germany supplied uranium worth about $169 million and $141 million, respectively, in August, and $8 million and $103 million, respectively, in September. In October, Chinese uranium worth more than $43 million replaced the supplies from the two European countries to America.

In the first eleven months of 2023, Russia sold the United States $1.017 billion worth of uranium, the highest amount since 2010. During that same period, from January to November, the volume of deliveries amounted to 1.026 billion. In 2022, Russia sold $766 million worth of uranium to America.