Overview
- - Major suppliers have started tightening deliveries as Airgas cut helium shipments by half under force majeure and Air Liquide began shifting supply to new sources.
- - The squeeze stems from reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and damage to Qatari LNG plants that also make helium, with QatarEnergy projecting a 14% annual drop in helium exports.
- - Executives report early production effects in tech supply chains, with firms citing transport delays and planning to slow output or prioritize key products if shortages deepen.
- - Helium must travel in special cryogenic tanks within roughly 45 days, and about 200 containers were stranded near the strait, which makes rapid rerouting hard and raises the risk of gaps once limited inventories run down.
- - Hospitals warn MRI service could be hit because scanners rely on liquid helium for cooling, and analysts note chipmakers often outbid other users in shortages, which could push medical and research buyers to the back of the line.