China halts helium exports as Iran war threatens global chip supply

China has imposed a temporary ban on helium exports effective immediately, as resumption of military conflict in the Middle East threatens to trigger new shortages of the gas critical for chip manufacturing, the Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs announced.The ban applies to all overseas shipments with no exemptions or destination markets specified, according to the announcement.The move comes as global helium supplies have come under severe strain during the US-Israel war on Iran, which forced a major facility in Qatar to close and affected shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Helium is essential for heat management in semiconductor production and cannot be quickly manufactured from other industrial processes.China acts to secure domestic supplyChina imports around 85 per cent or more of its helium requirements, with Qatar accounting for more than half of China's imports in recent years.