Uranium tariffs may raise cost of fuel for N-plants

Bloomberg

The Trump administration’s decision to consider tariffs on uranium imports may raise the cost of fuel for nuclear reactors and undermine a separate initiative to shore up struggling electricity generators.
The Commerce Department said it will probe whether uranium imports “threaten to impair” national security. US miners Energy Fuels Inc and Ur-Energy Inc, which requested the probe in January, want 25% of domestic market reserved for US producers. Domestic companies supply less than 5% of US consumption and would need about three years to ramp up production to meet that target. The prospect of trade barriers comes after Trump ordered his energy secretary to take action to extend life of money-losing coal and nuclear plants that face competition from cheap natural gas and renewables.