WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) in introducing legislation to ban imports of Russian uranium.

“Uranium is an important energy source and yet another example of how the U.S. needs to shore up our critical supply chains. Unfortunately, rather than producing and re-establishing our domestic uranium enrichment capacity, we have relegated our leadership and the revenue profits to Russia and its allies. Our bill is an impetus to change by banning the import of uranium from Russia and cutting off another avenue which funds Putin’s unwarranted and unprovoked violent war on Ukraine,” said Senator Cramer. 

“The time is now to permanently remove all Russian energy from the American marketplace,” said Senator Barrasso. “We know Vladimir Putin uses this money to help fund his brutal and unprovoked war in Ukraine. While banning imports of Russian oil, gas, and coal is an important step, it cannot be the last. Banning Russian uranium imports will further defund Russia’s war machine, help revive American uranium production, and increase our national security.”

“Our uranium import dependence is a case study in how our vital domestic minerals supply chains have atrophied to levels that result in a dire national security risk,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO, National Mining Association. “We are home to the world’s largest fleet of nuclear power plants, significant uranium reserves, and yet we import virtually all of the uranium we use – half of which comes from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Aggressive action must be taken to address this vulnerability and immediately reinvest in American-sourced, essential mined materials produced under world-leading environmental and labor standards.”

“Russia has cultivated American reliance on Russian nuclear fuel for some time, posing a dangerous threat to our energy and national security that has taken on new urgency,” said Scott Melbye, President of the Uranium Producers of America and Executive Vice President of Uranium Energy Corp. “We can no longer tolerate this nuclear fuel dependence or the flow of U.S. dollars for uranium purchases that prop up the Putin regime. The U.S. has ample uranium resources and the capacity to produce them at the highest global standards. The domestic uranium industry stands ready to work with U.S. utilities and other Western uranium suppliers to ensure every single domestic reactor will be able to maintain operations as the U.S. economy increasingly relies on clean nuclear power.”

Click here for bill text.

Background:

In May 2020, Senators Cramer and Barrasso sent a letter to Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Kessler calling on the department to extend the Russian Suspension Agreement (RSA), as recommended by the Nuclear Fuel Working Group.

In August 2020, Senator Cramer stressed the importance of American leadership in nuclear energy development and innovation during a Senate EPW Committee hearing. Senator Cramer questioned witnesses about the importance of maintaining America’s uranium reserves and the threat of competition from other enterprises owned by foreign adversaries. He also spoke about the nuclear energy supply chain and the significance of American-produced uranium.

In September 2020, Senators Cramer and Barrasso introduced the Russian Suspension Agreement Extension Act of 2020, bipartisan legislation to extend and expand limits on Russian uranium imports. That same month Senator Cramer applauded the Trump Department of Commerce’s preliminary deal to limit Russian uranium imports through 2040.