China defends helium export controls as supply safeguard

China has introduced temporary export controls on helium to secure domestic supply amid global market tightening, citing rising demand from AI-driven semiconductor manufacturing. The move is a supply-side safeguard rather than a geopolitical weapon, as China imports over 85% of its helium and faces competition from exporters seeking to capitalise on elevated global prices. If you're building chips or cooling systems for AI accelerators, your helium supply just got more expensive and your China-facing customers just got rationed. Call your suppliers this week—Qatar and Russia are the only stable sources left, and both are now state-controlled choke points.