Strategic Resource: China Imposes Temporary Ban on Helium Exports

According to a notice published on the website of the Ministry of Commerce on July 10, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement:

Pursuant 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 impose a temporary ban on the export of helium (customs commodity code: 2804290010).

This measure takes effect from the date of promulgation, and any subsequent adjustments will be announced separately.

It is known that helium, as a rare inert resource, is a strategic resource commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing, superconducting magnets for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), rocket fuel pressurization, and other aerospace and defense fields, earning it the reputation of “golden gas.”

In semiconductor manufacturing, helium plays an indispensable role with no viable substitute to date. It is widely used in core production processes such as wafer cooling, photolithography, and leak detection, directly affecting chip manufacturing yield and stability.

China has long been one of the world’s largest importers of helium, with limited export volumes. In 2024, major markets that imported this type of rare gas from China included the European Union, Japan, France, South Korea, and the United States.