Quantities of U.S. Nuclear Materials Exported to EURATOM and Japan From 1980-94

The largest amount of U.S. nuclear materials exported to EURATOM and Japan during the last 15 years was made up of depleted, natural, and enriched uranium. Quantities of U.S.-Origin Nuclear Materials Transferred From Japan to EURATOM From 1980-94

Japan uses enriched and natural uranium as fuel for nuclear power reactors. Japan also exported about 37,187 kgs of plutonium to EURATOM during this period. I contains information on the amount of U.S.-origin nuclear materials Japan transferred to EURATOM annually during this period.) In addition, nuclear reactor equipment and components have been exported by the United States to Japan annually between 1980 and 1994 under NRC’s general licenses. According to the Department of Commerce’s data base, the dollar value of U.S. exports to EURATOM countries of uranium (natural, enriched, and depleted) and plutonium in 1989 through August 1994 was about $1.1 billion. U.S. Nuclear Industry’s Views on Potential Impact of Nonrenewal of Agreement on Nuclear Commerce With EURATOM and Japan

Industry representatives anticipate that if the U.S.-EURATOM agreement is allowed to expire, EURATOM and Japan would turn to other suppliers of nuclear products and services outside the United States. According to USEC officials, if the U.S.-EURATOM agreement for cooperation expires, USEC’s future enrichment services would be seriously affected. Another $1.8 billion in potential new business from EURATOM and Japan might be lost. According to a nuclear industry representative, the U.S. share of the European nuclear industry market currently is about $100 million and may reach $300 million annually after the year 2000. The information on exported nuclear materials and U.S.-origin materials transferred from Japan to EURATOM in the NMMSS data base is collected from DOE and NRC forms. U.S. Nuclear Material Exports to EURATOM and Japan

	U.S. Exports to EURATOM

Figure I.1 shows that U.S. exports of natural uranium to EURATOM ranged from 4,324 kilograms (kgs) to 1,811,478 kgs annually during 1980 through 1994.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the United States-European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) agreement, focusing on the: (1) amount of U.S. nuclear exports to EURATOM and Japan and U.S.-origin nuclear materials transferred from Japan to EURATOM; (2) value of U.S. nuclear exports to EURATOM and Japan; and (3) nuclear industry's views on the potential impact on nuclear commerce if the U.S.-EURATOM agreement is not renewed.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) from 1980 through 1994, the United States exported about 32.6 million kilograms (kgs) of nuclear materials to EURATOM and 11 million kgs to Japan, and Japan transferred about 4.7 million kgs of U.S.-origin nuclear materials to EURATOM for reprocessing; (2) various forms of uranium constituted the majority of the nuclear material exports and enriched uranium constituted the majority of the U.S.-origin material transferred to EURATOM; (3) Japan also transferred about 37,187 kgs of U.S.-origin plutonium to EURATOM from 1980 through 1994; (4) no nuclear power reactors were exported to EURATOM or Japan during this period, but reactor equipment and components were exported to EURATOM and Japan under general license agreements; (5) U.S. nuclear materials exported from 1989 through August 1994 were worth about $1.1 billion for EURATOM countries and $4 billion for Japan; (6) for fiscal years 1989 through 1993, U.S. enrichment services worth $168 million and $1.6 billion were charged to EURATOM and Japan, respectively; (7) the U.S. nuclear industry believes that if the U.S.-EURATOM agreement expires, EURATOM and Japan would seek other non-U.S. suppliers of nuclear materials and services and the industry would be substantially weakened; and (8) the expiration of the agreement could seriously affect the future of the U.S. Enrichment Corporation's uranium enrichment services, since it would jeopardize $630 million in current contracts and $1.8 billion in potential new contracts.