US, Russia to Suspend Probe Into Russian Uranium Imports for 20 Years, Commerce Dept. Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Russia have extended a deal to suspend the antidumping investigation into Russian uranium imports for another 20 years and at the same time reduce US reliance on Russian uranium, the Commerce Department said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The US Department of Commerce and the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, have signed a final amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation. This amendment extends the Agreement through 2040 and reduces US reliance on uranium from Russia during that time period", the statement said.

The antidumping investigation was originally suspended with a 1992 agreement that set a 20 percent limit on Russian-supplied uranium to the United States. That agreement was to have expired on 31 December 2020.

The Commerce Department said the 20-year extension announced on Tuesday will drop the number of Russian imports to 15 percent of the US supply in 2028.

In addition, US companies will be allowed to honour pre-existing contracts to purchase uranium from Russian companies, it added.