Analysis of the implications of the USSR providing reprocessing and MOX fabrication services to other countries

This brief analysis, which is based on unclassified sources, seeks to identify what some of the implications would be if the Soviets started to move actively to try to provide reprocessing and MOX fabrication services to the US and other countries. While information on Soviet intentions is limited, it postulates that the Soviets would offer to reprocess spent LWR at competitive prices, fabricate the plutonium and reenrich the uranium, and sell these products back to the customer. Since it is not known whether they would insist on returning the waste from reprocessing or would be prepared to keep it, we comment briefly on what the implications of either of these actions might be.