China temporarily bans helium exports with immediate effect

The measure was introduced under the country’s Foreign Trade Law and applies to helium classified under customs commodity code 2804290010, the announcement said.

The authorities did not specify any destination countries, exemptions or licensing arrangements, indicating that the restriction applies to all overseas shipments.

No explanation was provided for the decision, while the announcement also did not set an expiry date. Any future adjustments will be disclosed separately, according to the statement.

Helium is a strategically important industrial gas used in semiconductor manufacturing, medical technologies, aerospace, scientific research and defense applications.

Its extremely low boiling point makes liquid helium essential for cooling superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging machines and advanced research equipment, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The gas is also used to create inert environments during semiconductor and fiber-optic production, as well as for leak detection, rocket-system pressurization and spacecraft operations, as noted by NASA and industry reports from companies such as Air Liquide.

Commercial helium is primarily recovered from helium-bearing natural gas deposits, including at facilities connected to liquefied natural gas production, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and USGS.

The immediate restriction could raise concerns among international buyers over the availability of high-purity helium, a limited and non-renewable resource with production concentrated among a relatively small number of countries, as highlighted in analyses by the USGS and the International Energy Agency.