China Imposes Temporary Ban on Helium Exports

On July 10, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs put out a joint notice (No. 29 of 2026) that officially slaps a temporary ban on helium exports. The ban took effect the same day it was announced, and we’ll have to wait for future notices if anything changes.

What’s covered?

This ban targets helium under customs code 2804290010. Companies need to stop export declarations for this category right away to stay out of trouble.

Legal basis?

It’s backed by China’s Foreign Trade Law – specifically the clauses that allow restricting exports to protect scarce natural resources and keep supply chains secure.

Why are they doing this?

Helium is a non‑renewable, strategic gas that’s absolutely critical for high‑end industries – think semiconductor chip making, optical fiber production, superconducting magnets, aerospace & defense, and medical MRI machines. There’s no good substitute yet, and it has a direct impact on chip yields and stability.

The thing is, China doesn’t have much helium of its own – we’ve been over 85% dependent on imports for years. Add to that the global supply disruptions we’ve seen lately, and domestic supply pressure just keeps mounting. So this ban is really about making sure that what helium we have goes first to our own high‑end manufacturing sectors – it’s a move to protect domestic supply security.