[News] China Curbs Helium Exports Amid Global Supply Risks; Critical for EUV and Advanced Chipmaking

China has introduced new export restrictions on helium. According to ESM China, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs jointly announced on July 10 that helium would be placed under temporary export restrictions, effective immediately with no grace period. Mydrivers notes that because China accounts for a relatively small share of the global helium market, the restrictions are not expected to have a disruptive impact on the global foundry industry. However, amid the ongoing AI boom and surging chip demand, the report says the move is likely to further tighten an already fragile global semiconductor supply chain.

Helium’s Critical Role in Advanced Chip Manufacturing

As Mydrivers indicates, helium is an indispensable industrial gas in semiconductor manufacturing, with broad applications across critical processes including vapor deposition, wafer cooling, and etching. Most significantly, helium plays a vital role in cooling advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems during the front-end stages of chip manufacturing.

ESM China further points out that a single EUV lithography system typically consumes more than 10,000 liters of helium each year. The report notes that EUV equipment relies on liquid helium to maintain its ultra-low operating temperature of 4 K (-269°C), which is essential for the stable operation of its superconducting magnets and precision optical systems. Liquid helium is the only medium capable of achieving and sustaining this environment. According to the report, a temperature fluctuation of more than 0.1°C can cause lithography distortions and result in an entire wafer batch being scrapped.

The importance of helium becomes particularly evident in advanced chip manufacturing. According to ESM China, helium consumption per wafer rises significantly with each successive process generation. Mature nodes of 90nm and above require only about 24 liters per wafer, compared with 40–60 liters for 14nm–28nm, around 120 liters for 7nm, and more than 150 liters for 3nm.

Global Helium Supply and China’s Export Controls

Global helium production remains concentrated among a small group of countries. As Mydrivers states, citing U.S. Geological Survey data as of March 2026, the U.S. remains the world’s largest helium producer with annual output of 81 million cubic meters, followed by Qatar, Russia, Algeria, and Canada. China ranks sixth with Poland, producing about 3 million cubic meters annually, or just 1.6% of global supply.

China is prioritizing domestic helium supplies. ESM China notes that the temporary export ban is primarily intended to safeguard helium supplies for China’s key domestic industries. Given the country’s limited production capacity and constrained import channels, the report says the measure is necessary to support strategic sectors such as semiconductors, healthcare, and aerospace.

ESM China highlights that China is a helium-deficient country, with very low helium concentrations in its domestic natural gas reserves. The country has long relied on imports for more than 85% of its helium supply, mainly from Qatar and Russia.

Since early 2026, the global helium supply chain has faced repeated disruptions. According to ESM China, Middle East tensions disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and halted production at key facilities in Qatar, while Russia imposed temporary helium export controls. As a result, the global helium supply gap briefly exceeded 40%, triggering sharp price volatility. Against this backdrop, ESM China says China’s heavy reliance on imported helium, despite continued growth in exports, has posed potential risks to the security of its domestic high-end industrial supply chains.

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