The ongoing Iran war has caused a significant shortage of helium, a critical gas for cooling artificial-intelligence chip-making tools and MRI scanners.
The global supply of helium, which is essential for various industries, including semiconductors, aerospace, and medical imaging, is being squeezed due to a halt in natural-gas exports from Qatar, the source of about a third of the world's total helium supply.
Suppliers are already telling customers to expect supply cuts and surcharges, and prices have more than doubled in the spot market.
South Korea, a major chip manufacturer, has been approaching U.S. producers for additional volumes of the gas, while Taiwan and Germany also face risks due to their reliance on Qatar for helium supplies.
Chip companies are actively monitoring the situation, but analysts say a prolonged Qatari outage would hit the U.S. hard as well.
Companies are preparing for a bigger supply crunch ahead, with major Asian chip makers conducting comprehensive assessments of helium inventories.
