The next casualty of Trump’s war is already here
The ongoing conflict linked to Trump-era policies has disrupted global helium supplies, with a 40% loss since the start of the Iran war affecting critical industries. Helium, essential for semiconductor manufacturing, medical imaging, and advanced technologies, has no viable substitute and is becoming increasingly scarce. The shortage is prompting hoarding by high-tech firms, threatening broader economic functions reliant on mature-node chips.
- ▪The world has lost 40% of its helium supply since the start of the Iran war, primarily due to disruptions from Qatar and Russia.
- ▪Helium is crucial for producing advanced AI chips, semiconductors, MRI machines, nuclear power, and quantum computing.
- ▪There are no easy substitutes for helium, which cannot be synthesized and is extracted only from natural gas deposits.
- ▪The semiconductor industry is prioritizing helium for lucrative AI fabs over routine mature-node chips used widely in everyday electronics.
- ▪China lacks strategic stockpiles of helium despite holding reserves of other critical materials.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.