Beijing has decided to temporarily halt exports of helium, a key chemical that is essential to modern chip manufacturing, to stabilize the domestic supply chain.
The ban on outbound shipments of the critical gas is effective immediately, China's commerce ministry and customs said in a joint statement on Friday. The authorities didn't specify when the ban would be lifted.
China is a major importer of helium and has been squeezed by a shortage of the gas since the Middle East conflict started. A helium supply shock threatens China's chip push.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
