PRESSURE is mounting on the Rudd Government to dump a uranium export treaty with Moscow after the White House yesterday set aside a US-Russia deal to share nuclear technology.

The American move was a clear signal of Washington's anger with Russia over its military incursion into neighbouring Georgia.

Labor is yet to decide whether to ratify the Australia-Russia uranium deal — signed by the Howard government last year and currently before the parliament's treaties committee.

But Australia risks falling out of step with its major alliance partner if it goes ahead and approves yellowcake sales.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith — in India this week defending Australia's decision not to export uranium to that country — said through a spokeswoman the Government would take into account events in the Caucasus along with the treaties committee recommendation.

Mr Smith yesterday left open the door for Australia to supply technology that could be used in India's nuclear industry — while categorically ruling out any change to the ban on the export of nuclear fuel to India.

Treaties committee chairman, Labor MP Kelvin Thomson, yesterday told The Age he did not anticipate the US move would directly influence deliberations on a final report.

"But it does underscore the fact that we are living in uncertain times," he said.

The committee's report on the uranium deal — potentially worth up to $1 billion each year — is expected to be tabled as early as next week.

The US-Russia deal, signed only four months ago, is now effectively in deep freeze after the Bush Administration withdraw the treaty from consideration by the US Congress.

The accord was intended to promote co-operation between American and Russian civilian nuclear industries.

But tensions between Washington and Moscow have increased in recent weeks since Russian military forces crossed into Georgia from the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"Unfortunately, given the current environment, the time is not right for this agreement," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Martine Letts, a former Australian arms control diplomat and deputy director with the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said that Australia also had a chance to pull out of the uranium sales and signal its displeasure with Moscow.

"But it wouldn't make a huge amount of difference to Russia's behaviour, I suspect," she said.

Anti-nuclear campaigners are also pushing for the Government to drop the treaty.

"Uranium's long-term radioactivity will long outlast current politics, even another Cold War, if world leaders take us again on this path," said Tilman Ruff, of the Australian Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

"Russia has a volatile political environment with effectively no nuclear safeguards in place. It is not surprising that caution is coming from all directions."

Russia's ambassador to Australia last week warned a failure to ratify the deal would harm the economic interests of Australia.

At the start of his five-day tour of India yesterday, Mr Smith said Australian exports of so-called "dual-use technologies" that could have application in India's nuclear industry was something he would "have a look at".

Dual-use technologies are instruments and components, such as measuring devices and software, that are used in regular industries but which may also have applications in nuclear facilities.

The Australian Government bans uranium exports to any country, such as India, that is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Mr Smith said he did not foresee a time when this policy would be changed.

Last week a global ban on the sale of nuclear technology and fuel to India was lifted by the world body that controls nuclear commerce, with Australia's blessing.

The Howard government said it would export uranium to India if it won such a waiver, but the Rudd Government overturned that decision. However, Mr Smith indicated that Australia's position on the sale of goods, other than uranium, that could be used in India's nuclear program was under consideration.