Valentin Mezhevich, first vice chairman of Federation Council’s Committee on Natural Monopolies

– Signing of amendment to Agreement Suspending Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from Russia is an excellent beginning of the year

The signing of an amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation to the United States is an excellent beginning of the year for us.

Today, we supply almost half of US reactor fuel but do it via the only agent assigned by the US authorities, USEC company. This is all but liberal economy: reportedly the most open market economy in the world, in this particular, the United States is showing an example of archaic non-liberal system. Many US companies support Rosatom and object to the restrictions.

Being the only go-between, USEC earns big profit from the difference of prices and enjoys monopoly in distributing Russian uranium. The other US companies would like to have direct access to the manufacturers and suppliers of this product. The signed amendment suggests specific ways to lift these discriminatory restrictions.

So, now Russian and US companies can establish direct contacts for supply of low-enriched uranium at market prices starting from 2011.