Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency, on Friday hailed a decision by a U.S. trade court that found sales of Russian uranium in the United States should not be subject to anti-dumping measures.

"The U.S. Court of International Trade gave our nuclear sector a present," Kiriyenko said.

"We received confirmation today that the court has ruled that uranium enrichment is a service rather than a good, which means it cannot be the subject to anti-dumping investigation."

Kiriyenko said the U.S. administration could appeal the ruling, which concerns low enriched uranium, but hailed the court's decision as a major step toward boosting Russian uranium exports to the lucrative U.S. market.

President Vladimir Putin, eager to expand the clout of the country's atomic sector, has been pushing for equal access for Russian companies to the world nuclear market.