The international Market in Natural Uranium—from Propagation Risk to Non- Propagation Prospect

                                  

Uranium remnants a critical part of civil-military nuclear programs. The attempt to cap the number of nuclear armed states in the world has largely focused on restraining the spread of the industrial items and processes needed for the stages of the fuel cycle that can turn uranium into forms that could be used to build a nuclear weapon.

The most important suppliers of nuclear technology have recently agreed plan to limit access to the most reactive industrial items, in the framework of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Yet, the number of countries proficient in these manufacturing processes has increased over time, and it is now dubious whether a tactic based on close monitoring of technology choke points is by itself a dependable barrier to nuclear propagation. 

Today, the proliferation risks connected with industrial processes used to remove uranium attract comparatively little awareness. To reduce this risk, national regulators require having full picture of how uranium extracted on their country is to be used. Restricting access to natural uranium could be an imperative aspect of the worldwide efforts to block extends of nuclear weapons.