【Enfoque de noticias financieras】 ¡Precio en aumento! La cadena de suministro mundial de helio sufre impactos, y como materia prima importante en múltiples industrias, la situación en Oriente Medio impulsa claramente el aumento del precio del helio

People’s Finance News, March 30, reports that, affected by the situation in the Middle East, the global helium supply chain has been disrupted, while also impacting more other industries. Helium is an important raw material for multiple industries, especially in the technology sector, where it is widely used in semiconductors, aerospace, electronics manufacturing, and medical imaging, among others. CCTV News reports that Iran’s earlier attacks on Qatar’s natural gas export facilities not only disrupted global energy markets, but also posed a threat to global technology industry supply chains. Because helium, a byproduct of natural gas produced by Qatar, is crucial for many high-tech industries, including semiconductors. Qatar sits on the world’s largest single natural gas field, and its Ras Laffan facility is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas plant; helium, as a byproduct of natural gas production, is refined here, accounting for about 30% of the global helium supply. Qatar Gas Company announced in early March that, due to repeated attacks, it would suspend the production of liquefied natural gas and “related byproducts.” The company issued an alert: natural gas facilities have suffered severe damage, repair work will take many years, and annual helium export volumes are expected to be reduced by 14%. Fitch Ratings stated that, as the Iran conflict continues and Qatar’s natural gas supply disruption persists, tail-end risks facing Asia’s semiconductor supply chain due to tightening helium are rising. Under Fitch’s baseline scenario, cost pressure is a secondary issue, but it can also have significant effects in the event of a long-term supply interruption. In a severe shortage scenario, spot helium prices could surge by 50%–200%; contract prices are usually more stable, but they may still rise by 20%–40% during renegotiations. Some institutions believe that, given that Qatar helium stock levels in the domestic market are only 1–2 months, and that Qatar helium supply disruptions began in late February, the domestic stock situation will be more tight in April, and the domestic helium price increases in April may be even steeper.