According to an analysis of customs data by Nikkei Asia, the United States has become a major source of helium for Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. With the tensions in Iran and export restrictions by China leading to a tight supply of helium, the market share of the United States may further expand.
For a long time, major Asian tech economies primarily purchased helium and other rare gases from Qatar and China. An executive from TSMC told Nikkei Asia that Qatar has one of the most cost-effective helium production bases globally, as helium is a byproduct of the country’s vast liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. However, the conflict in Iran has disrupted Qatar’s production and exports of LNG, leading to a decrease in helium production.
In this turbulent situation, the United States emerges as a clear winner. The proportion of helium and other rare gas imports from the United States to Taiwan has increased from less than 4% in 2025 to nearly 60% in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s import proportion from Qatar dropped from nearly 88% in 2025 to about 30% in the first half of 2026. Taiwan’s import proportion from mainland China in the first half of this year is about 5%.
Last year, Qatar was the biggest helium import source for South Korea, but the import proportion in the first five months of 2026 decreased to about 34%, significantly lower than the previous year’s 55%. During the same period, South Korea’s import proportion from the United States rose to nearly 56%, higher than around 28% in 2025. In 2022, over half of South Korea’s rare gas imports came from China, but by the first five months of 2026, this proportion had dropped to only 3.3%.
In recent years, Japan’s imports of rare gases from the United States have also significantly increased. In the first five months of 2026, over 83% of Japan’s rare gas imports, including helium, came from the United States, higher than the approximately 28% in 2022. Imports from China accounted for nearly 28% in 2022, but due to escalating tensions between China and Japan, this proportion decreased to only 3.6% in the first five months of this year.
The Chinese authorities announced on July 10 (last Friday) that helium exports would be temporarily suspended with immediate effect. However, the reasons for this export suspension were not specified. This decision is expected to further expand the export of helium from the United States.
In recent years, Beijing has increasingly used its dominant position in critical material supplies such as rare earths as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations and to exert pressure on other countries in geopolitical disputes. This has prompted countries like Japan to strive to reduce their reliance on China.
Helium is a non-renewable strategic rare gas that plays an important and irreplaceable role in key areas such as aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, medical MRI, low-temperature superconductivity research, and defense industry.
In semiconductor manufacturing, helium is particularly crucial as a key gas for chip production, mainly used in etching, cleaning, heat control, and other essential processes.
The United States produces about 40% of the global helium supply, while Qatar and Russia account for approximately 33% and nearly 10% respectively. China’s helium production is less than 2% of the global total. According to customs data, the major Asian economies currently have a low dependency on Chinese helium, but export restrictions by China may still lead to an increase in overall prices.