Published: Jul 12, 2026, 21:27 IST | Updated: Jul 12, 2026, 21:27 IST
China’s sudden, temporary export ban on helium is a crisis-management measure driven by severe global supply shocks. With Middle East conflicts shuttering major Qatari processing plants and Russian supply constrained, China—which imports up to 90% of its helium—halted all overseas shipments to protect its domestic chipmakers.