US designates helium as critical material amid Middle East supply shock

As military conflict in the Middle East cripples global energy infrastructure, the United States is emerging as the critical anchor for the world's high-tech manufacturing sector. Amid a historic supply crisis for helium, an indispensable element in the production of semiconductors and advanced electronics, as well as in medical imaging, the US Department of Energy has officially designated helium as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020.