Canada to expand uranium exports to China: ambassador

Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian ambassador to China, said on Tuesday that Canada will export more natural uranium to China to boost cooperation in the nuclear sector.

Increased uranium trade will help satisfy China's growing nuclear demand, said Saint-Jacques on the sidelines of the 13th China International Nuclear Industry Exhibition in Beijing.

Canadian nuclear enterprise Candu Energy Inc. and China National Nuclear Corporation are collaborating on the development of a new Advanced Fuel Candu Reactor (AFCR), which can operate on recycled uranium or thorium as an alternative fuel, according to the ambassador.

The technology is expected to increase the efficiency of uranium use and reduce China's dependence on natural uranium, said Saint-Jacques.

Canada is the world's second largest natural uranium producer. It began exporting natural uranium to China in 2012, but exports to China account for a very small portion of its total uranium trade.