Congressional Resource Guide

International Trade and Export Policy

U.S. companies are exporting nuclear plant designs and technology, equipment and services to countries around the world.

Commercial Nuclear Exports Mean Thousands of U.S. Jobs
Worldwide, 66 new nuclear energy facilities are under construction, and an additional 158 are in the licensing and advanced planning stages. The demand for high-quality commodities, components and services provides an export opportunity for U.S. manufacturers.

Export Opportunities Mean Jobs and Economic Benefits
The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that the international market for equipment and services at $500 billion to $740 billion over the next 10 years. The agency estimates that every $1 billion of exports by U.S. companies supports 5,000 to 10,000 domestic jobs.

Key markets will not be slowed by events in Japan. Leaders in China, India and other countries where future growth is concentrated have already indicated they will continue to expand their use of nuclear energy.

Global Growth Opportunity
Construction of nuclear plants creates a range of export opportunities. Depending on the design, a single new reactor requires approximately:

500 to 3,000 nuclear grade valves
125 to 250 pumps
44 miles of piping
300 miles of electric wiring
90,000 electrical components.

The economic benefits of nuclear energy trade are substantial—but the opportunities it provides to strengthen the nonproliferation regime and enhance international nuclear safety practices are just as compelling.

Resources

White Paper: Nuclear Export Controls, a Comparative Analysis of National Regimes
This white paper prepared for NEI by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP compares the major nuclear technology exporting countries’ trade regimes. Includes a comparison of U.S., French, Russian, South Korean and Japanese nuclear export trade systems.

Issues in Focus: Nuclear Energy Exports and Nonproliferation
This one-sheet analyzes the linkage between nuclear energy technology exports and U.S. nonproliferation goals.

What Others Are Saying

Limiting Transfers of Enrichment and Reprocessing Technology: Issues, Constraints, Options
by Fred McGoldrick, associate, Project on Managing the Atom, Harvard Kennedy School, May 2011. In this study, Fred McGoldrick, an expert on nonproliferation, gives his insight and recommendations for limiting the risks of enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear materials.

Government-wide Strategy Could Help Increase Commercial Benefits from U.S. Nuclear Cooperation Agreements with Other Countries
by U.S. Government Accountability Office, November 2010. This GAO report urged the U.S. government “to strengthen interagency coordination efforts to promote nuclear trade.”

Gallup: Americans Shift to More Positive View of Foreign Trade

Key Issues

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