The Evolution of High Enriched Uranium Exports for Peaceful Use

Historically, high enriched uranium (HEU) was the fuel of choice for many research reactors around the world, and HEU targets were widely used for medical isotope production. The United States was a primary supplier of HEU for these peaceful use applications, and the material was exported under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s export licensing program. Given the proliferation significance of HEU, several legislative efforts over the past three decades served to progressively tighten the licensing criteria used by the NRC to approve exports of HEU. This paper serves to discuss those legislative changes, provide examples of the considerations the NRC gives to HEU export applications before rendering a decision, and demonstrate how the number and destinations of HEU exports have decreased over time—and what we might expect to see in the future.