DOE Greenlights Broad Nuclear Tech Exports to Thailand

Operating under the Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities regulation at Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 810, this mandate systematically cuts the red tape previously required to export foundational atomic expertise to the kingdom. By placing Thailand on the Appendix A list, the federal government is determining that the transfer of this specific controlled technology poses no threat to national security and is non-inimical to the interest of the United States. This streamlined trade protocol directly operationalizes the "123 agreement," the bedrock Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, signed between Washington and Bangkok on January 14, 2025, which formally went into effect on July 9, 2025. This accelerated regulatory timeline is a direct execution of Executive Order 14299, which commanded federal agencies to rapidly deploy advanced nuclear reactor technologies to secure national security interests abroad. Section 57 b.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 acts as the statutory gatekeeper here, enabling peaceful nuclear trade while ensuring American tech is not diverted for non-peaceful purposes. Because the bilateral agreement is now fully active, a multi-agency consortium including the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Departments of State, Defense, Commerce, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission collectively concurred that granting Thailand general authorization status under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.6(a) meets strict federal standards. Corporate compliance departments need to understand the exact parameters of this newfound access to avoid severe enforcement actions. Effective immediately upon the issuance of this Determination, any firm holding a current specific authorization for Thailand under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.7(a) is automatically grandfathered into the lighter regulatory framework of the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.6(a) general authorization. Companies can operate under this relaxed standard provided they rigorously adhere to the reporting mechanisms outlined in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.12(e), which can simultaneously satisfy initial reporting requirements under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.12(b) if specified accordingly. The government is not issuing a blank check for all atomic exports. The transfer of sensitive nuclear technology, or any high-risk activities explicitly delineated under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 810.7(b) and (c), remains strictly quarantined from this easing and will continue to demand exhaustive specific authorization and independent reporting. The secondary market consequences of this deregulation are profound. American nuclear startups and traditional energy conglomerates now possess a frictionless pipeline to export small modular reactor components, securing lucrative contracts that will funnel billions back into the domestic manufacturing sector. By locking Thailand into American operational frameworks and enriched fuel supply chains, Washington is fundamentally altering the geopolitical architecture of the Indo-Pacific, creating a localized energy grid immune to Moscow’s leverage. For everyday Thai citizens, this action paves the way for a stable, zero-emission baseload power source that will rapidly modernize their infrastructure and lower power costs. On American soil, it signals a decisive pivot where federal regulatory agencies are actively utilizing trade policy to secure long-term global energy dominance.