That dollar amount reflects a formidable 765.6% gain from the $2.4 billion that the US spent on overall uranium imports 5 years earlier in 2021, and a 2% year-over-year increase from $6.14 billion in 2024.
Uranium is a silvery-white metal with unique nuclear properties. The main non-military use of uranium is as a fuel for nuclear power plants. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nuclear power plants process a specific type of uranium known as U-235 as fuel because its atoms are split apart relatively easily.
US import data presented below is separated into two distinct forms. Enriched U-235 uranium is recorded under six-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code 284420 in contrast to 284410 for natural uranium and its compounds.
Of the total $6.26 billion in American uranium imports during 2025, 70.1% ($4.4 billion) was for international purchases of enriched uranium. That share compares to 29.9% ($1.87 billion) for imported natural uranium and related compounds up from 12.4% for natural uranium imports one year prior.
Countries Exporting Enriched Uranium to America
Below are the nine countries from which the United States purchased 100% of its enriched U-235 uranium during 2025. The United States has increased its enriched uranium imports by 100.9% since 2021 but decreased by -3.9% from 2024 to 2025.
- United Kingdom: US$1.4 billion (30.9% of total US imported enriched uranium)
- Russia: $1 billion (23.4%)
- France: $886.9 million (20.2%)
- Netherlands: $648.8 million (14.8%)
- Germany: $307.7 million (7%)
- mainland China: $118.5 million (2.7%)
- Japan: $30.6 million (0.7%)
- Belgium: $12.5 million (0.29%)
- Canada: $8,000 (0.0002%)
Countries that boosted revenues from their enriched uranium sold to America: France (up 488.1% from 2021), United Kingdom (up 244%), Russia (up 59.1%) and the Netherlands (up 21.3%).
Japan (down -39.9%) and Germany (down -23.8%) were declining suppliers thanks to shrinkage in enriched uranium sales to the United States over the 5-year period.
Countries Exporting Natural Uranium to America
Below are the nine countries from which the United States bought $1.87 billion worth of natural uranium including its compounds during 2025. America boosted its spending on imported natural uranium by 765.6% from 2021 to 2025 and increased by 19% year over year compared to 2024.
- Canada: US$840.3 million (44.9% of total US imported uranium)
- France: $816.5 million (43.6%)
- Kazakhstan: $215.4 million (11.5%)
- United Kingdom: $22,000 (0.001%)
- Germany: $19,000 (0.001%)
- Switzerland: $13,000 (0.001%)
- Netherlands: $11,000 (0.001%)
- South Africa: $8,000 (0.0004%)
- Italy: $2,000 (0.0001%)
Among America’s suppliers of natural uranium, those that benefited from a boost in sales to the US over the 5-year period were France (up 13,608,683% from 2021), Kazakhstan (up 1,231%) and Canada (up 320%).
The value of natural uranium that the US imported in 2025 shrank for one of the listed suppliers, namely the United Kingdom via a -18.5% decline.
US Uranium Suppliers Causing Trade Deficits for America
America does produce and sell its own uranium on international markets. In 2025, the United States shipped $133.6 million worth of enriched uranium to its international trade partners plus another $836.1 million worth of natural uranium.
American revenues from exporting enriched uranium fall far short of the $4.38 billion that the US spent on imported enriched uranium thus resulting in a -$4.25 billion product category deficit in 2025.
Similarly, America shipped $836.1 million worth of natural uranium compared to $1.86 billion in US imports of natural uranium thus generating America’s -$1.04 billion negative trade balance for natural uranium in 2025.
Below you will find the seven countries that caused America’s country-specific deficits from buying and selling enriched uranium on international markets, incurring a subtotal deficit of -$4.25 billion for 2025.
- United Kingdom: -US$1.3 billion (product deficit up 244.1% since 2021)
- Russia: -$1 billion (up 59.2%)
- France: -$879.6 million (up 483.8%)
- Netherlands: -$645.6 million (up 21%)
- Germany: -$307.6 million (down -23.8%)
- mainland China: -$118.5 million (reversing a -$7,000 deficit)
- Belgium: -$7 million (reversing a -$6.9 million deficit)
As for natural uranium, the following six trade partners created a subtotal US deficit totaling -$543.4 million during 2025.
- Canada: -US$830.7 million (product deficit up 1,826% since 2021)
- France: -$816.5 million (up 13,608,683%)
- Kazakhstan: -$215.4 million (up 1,231%)
- Switzerland: -$13,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- South Africa: -$8,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- Italy: -$2,000 (2024 data unavailable)
See also US Iron and Steel Imports by Supplier Countries, America’s Top Trading Partners, United States Top 10 Imports and US Aluminum Imports by Supplying Country
Research Sources:
Gabriel Friedman for the National Post, How U.S.-Russia tensions could revive Canada’s struggling uranium mines. Accessed on August 28, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 28, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 28, 2026
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 28, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Nuclear Explained: Where Our Uranium Comes From, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 28, 2026
Wikipedia, Uranium. Accessed on August 28, 2026
Wikipedia, Category:Uranium mining companies by country. Accessed on August 28, 2026