BETHESDA, Md., Mar 4, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has reversed key determinations made by the U.S. Department of Commerce in its trade investigation of low-enriched uranium imports (LEU) from France.
Over the past four years, the U.S. government's trade experts have determined on multiple occasions that the sale and purchase of LEU under enrichment contracts is subject to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty law. Nevertheless, in its opinion issued yesterday, the court failed to affirm these determinations.
The court did affirm the department's ruling that USEC Inc. constitutes the domestic uranium enrichment industry with eligibility to request a trade investigation of imported LEU. A coalition of U.S. utilities had asserted that they should be included in the domestic industry.
USEC Senior Vice President Philip G. Sewell said "We are disappointed that the court has rejected several determinations made by both the Commerce Department and U.S. International Trade Commission. We are in discussions with the department, and we will be considering all options, including seeking reconsideration by the court. The long-term interests of the nuclear power industry require a stable and sustainable LEU market. We remain committed to that goal and to the deployment of our next-generation American Centrifuge technology."
The court's decision does not immediately impact the U.S. government's collection of countervailing and antidumping duty deposits on LEU imports from France, which will continue pending the resolution of other issues that will have to be addressed by the U.S. Court of International Trade on remand.
USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU), a global energy company, is the world's leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
SOURCE: USEC Inc.
USEC Inc.
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