Russia Imposes Strict Helium Export Controls to Shield Domestic Fiber Optics and Chip Industries
Russia has imposed helium export controls through 2027 to stabilize its domestic market. With the Middle East war disrupting 30% of global supply, Russia is prioritizing its fiber optics and chipmaking sectors, adding new pressure to a global semiconductor market already in crisis.
Russia has imposed temporary export controls on helium to maintain a stable supply to the domestic market, where the gas is mainly used in the production of fibre optics, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
The war in the Middle East has tightened the supply of the gas, which is also used in several key stages of chipmaking, including cooling, leak detection and precision manufacturing processes.
The decree added helium to a list of commodities whose export outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) requires special permission by top government officials. The new export regime will be in force until the end of 2027.
Russia is the third-largest global producer of helium, a byproduct of natural gas processing, accounting for around 8% of the global production, according to Gazprombank's analysts. At home, helium is important for the production of fibre optics, increasingly used by the army to control drones.
However, Russia trails far behind the United States and Qatar, with the Middle Eastern country producing over one-third of the global supply in 2025.
Earlier this month, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that global supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East have opened up new trade opportunities for Russia, but price stability in the domestic market remains a priority.
He mentioned helium among commodities whose exports Russia can increase. Gazprom's Amur Gas Processing Plant in the Far East is the biggest producer of helium in Russia. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan and Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
Published By : Shourya Jha
Published On: 14 April 2026 at 16:45 IST