(April 28): Japan’s helium imports from key supplier Qatar fell to the lowest level in more than a year in March, as the Middle East war disrupts supplies of the inert gas used to make products like artificial intelligence chips.
Shipments from the Gulf nation plunged 81% last month from a year earlier to 8,800kg, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance. That is the weakest since January 2025. Total imports rose 39% on an annual basis due to a surge in US deliveries, the data showed.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Qatar’s facilities have upended helium exports, which had accounted for roughly one-third of global supply as a byproduct of natural gas production. Japan relied on the country for nearly 40% of its imports last year, with the US supplying most of the remainder.
Helium has several critical uses, including in operating MRI machines and manufacturing. The gas is also essential to the production of high-end semiconductors.
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