COMMERCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Commerce Department has opened an investigation into whether uranium imports threaten national security, a move that could pave the way for tariffs on foreign producers of the radioactive material that fuels nuclear power plants. Uranium is used in commercial reactors that power a significant portion of the country’s electrical grid, as well as in Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. Tariffs could be imposed if the investigation finds that the use of imported uranium could make the U.S. too dependent on foreign countries for an essential material. U.S. uranium production has dropped to 5% of what’s required for the military and the country’s nuclear infrastructure from 49% in 1987, according to a statement from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Wednesday [7-18-18]. He promised a ‘thorough, fair and transparent review.’ The U.S. last year imported $2.2 billion of uranium ore and products. Canada is the largest source of imported uranium for civilian power plants, followed by Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The Commerce Department is using a trade law called Section 232, which officials say gives them wide authority to define national security in economic terms and block imports to achieve their goals.”
–Heidi Vogt and Timothy Puko, “Trump Administration Investigating Uranium Imports Under National Security Concerns,” The Wall Street Journal, July 18, 2018 2:06 pm