According to China Chemical Industry News, Fu Chungan, Chairman of the China Industrial Gases Industry Association, stated in an interview with China Chemical Industry News reporters: "The development of the helium industry is vital to the security of national industrial chains and the broader landscape of technological innovation. Since the beginning of this year, the global helium supply has been disrupted by the situation in the Middle East. The implementation of temporary export controls on helium strikes a precise balance between the competing needs of resource conservation, meeting domestic demand, and industrial upgrading. It is a crucial measure to safeguard helium resource security, guide the optimal allocation of resources, and ultimately drive the high-quality development of my country's helium sector and related industries."
Fu Chungan believes the significance of these temporary export restrictions lies in three main areas.
First, it helps prioritize the needs of key domestic industries. As a strategic resource, helium is widely used in core sectors such as semiconductors, medical MRI, fiber-optic communications, and aerospace. For instance, ultra-high-purity helium—characterized by a low boiling point, high thermal conductivity, chemical inertness, and strong leak-detection capabilities—is an essential material for advanced chip manufacturing processes. Helium also plays a critical role as an ultra-low-temperature coolant for superconducting magnets in medical MRI systems. With the rapid growth of relevant domestic industries and the steadily rising demand for helium, the industry must strengthen its support for key downstream sectors.
Second, it helps stabilize domestic market expectations. While the global helium supply is currently recovering as the situation in the Middle East stabilizes, domestic prices are expected to become increasingly steady as supplies from Qatar and Russia come back online. Strengthening export management demonstrates my country's proactive approach to trade policy by prioritizing helium supplies for domestic downstream industries; this helps stabilize expectations among domestic producers and consumers, fostering a balanced recovery in both supply and pricing.
Third, it helps guide the transformation and upgrading of the helium industry. Previously, my country's helium exports consisted primarily of low-purity gas used in consumer applications like balloons, with the source material largely derived from processing and re-exporting imported helium. Following the tightening of helium export policies, industry resources will increasingly shift toward the domestic high-end application market. This move encourages enterprises to intensify R&D efforts in key technologies—such as exploration and development, purification and refining, recycling and recovery, and efficient storage and transport—while continuously optimizing the layout of the entire helium industry chain. These actions aim to drive a profound transformation in the industry's development model, stimulate internal growth momentum, and comprehensively foster high-quality development.
Helium is hailed as the "gas chip" and serves as a core strategic resource for high-end technology and advanced manufacturing. Its stable supply is indispensable for safeguarding the security of strategic emerging industry chains, including semiconductors, healthcare, and aerospace. As a "shadow mineral" of natural gas, helium cannot be extracted independently; its production is tied to natural gas extraction, and its global circulation is susceptible to geopolitical tensions and transportation constraints, making supply chain risks difficult to mitigate effectively. Since early 2026, profound shifts in the global geopolitical landscape have plunged the global helium market into a new period of volatility, significantly impacting my country's helium and related industries. As of June 30, 2026, the average market price for domestically produced high-purity tube-bundle helium stood at RMB158.8 per cubic meter—a 145.4% increase since February 28—while the average price for imported helium reached RMB 189 per cubic meter, up 130.5%.
Background: According to the website of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, and in accordance with the *Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China*, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs have decided to implement a temporary export ban on helium (Customs Commodity Code: 2804290010). This announcement takes effect on July 10, the date of its publication; any subsequent adjustments will be announced separately.
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