Mid-year market review

Spot market activity thus far in 1993-and indeed since the signing of the suspension agreements last fall-has been low by recent historical measures, the result of high levels of discretionary buying earlier in 1992 and continuing uncertainty about the performance of the current higher prices in the US market. The discretionary buying during the first three quarters of 1992 was a function of then-low prices and concerns about the outcome of the antidumping case. Last fall, following the signing of the suspension agreements, buying activity declined substantially, and a definite two-tiered market emerged, with prices in the restricted uranium market rising quickly for buyers requiring delivery in the USA. This article reviews the first 6 months of 1993 uranium market activity