According to the Ministry of Commerce website, on July 10, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement:
According to the relevant provisions of 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 temporary export restrictions on helium (customs commodity code: 2804290010).
This announcement takes effect from the date of publication. Any subsequent adjustments will be announced separately.
Business Ministry Website Screenshot
It is reported that helium, as a rare and inert resource, is considered a strategic material. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, magnetic resonance (MRI) superconducting magnets, and the pressurization of rocket fuels in aerospace and defense industries. Therefore, it is referred to as the “golden gas”.
In semiconductor manufacturing, helium plays an indispensable role and has no alternative. It is widely used in core production processes such as wafer cooling, lithography, and leak detection, directly affecting the yield and stability of chip manufacturing.
For a long time, China has been one of the world's largest importers of helium. Its export volume is limited, and in 2024, markets that import more of this rare gas from China include the European Union, Japan, France, South Korea, and the United States.
According to previous reports by CCTV Finance, the person in charge of a special gas production company in Shanghai said that the demand for helium has risen significantly recently. The factory operates on double shifts but still faces a shortage of supply. Zhang Zhijun, the deputy manager of the production department at Shanghai Youjiali Special Gases Co., Ltd., explained that the semiconductor industry has a high demand for helium, and the price varies depending on the day. Currently, the daily production volume has doubled compared to the beginning of the year.
