The US Department of Energy (DOE) has designated helium as a critical material, citing its essential role in domestic manufacturing and growing concerns over supply chain security.
The move forms part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce reliance on foreign critical minerals, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and secure materials important to the nation’s economic and national security.
According to the DOE, helium meets the statutory definition of a critical material because of its importance to American industry and increasing exposure to supply chain risks.
The gas plays a vital role in semiconductor production, with its unique properties making it difficult to replace in many advanced manufacturing applications.
While the US has significant domestic resources of helium-rich natural gas, limited refining capacity and lengthy permitting processes continue to constrain production, the department said.
“President Trump is bringing back America’s manufacturing industry, and that means making sure we have the materials needed to build things in America again,” US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright says.
“Helium is essential to producing the semiconductors and advanced technologies that power our economy.”
The designation makes helium the 20th critical material identified by the DOE under the Energy Act of 2020.
The previous addition was metallurgical coal, used in steelmaking, which received its critical material designation in 2025.
Helium also joins fluorine as the only two gaseous elements on the DOE’s critical materials list.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: Secretary Chris Wright | X
