Washington bets $414M on Niger uranium to box out Russia and China

The US Development Finance Corp approved up to $414 million for Global Atomic's Dasa mine in Niger, calling uranium a critical mineral it wants out of Russia's and China's reach. That government appetite for secure supply is a tailwind for US-listed miners Cameco Corporation (CCJ), Energy Fuels Inc. (UUUU) and Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC). The loan stays conditional, with an export route still unsolved.