According to Lunzhong Information, China will import 3685 tons of helium in 2021, down 0.6% from 2020. The average import price is about 76.5 US dollars/kg, down 0.9% from 2020. In 2022, the global helium resources may be in a state of first tension and then relatively loose, and the resumption of production of helium plants in Russia will still be a major destabilizing factor. Longzhong Information predicts that China's helium market supply will reach 4300 tons in 2022.

1. The import volume decreased by 0.6% year-on-year

China's helium import statistics in 2021

In 2021, China's helium market demand will recover to a certain extent, but the global helium supply will be restricted by some short-term factors and partially tightened. In particular, after the release of the third phase of Qatar and Russia's helium production capacity, the overall supply in the future may reach a new level. According to the analysis of Lonza Information, China will import 3685 tons of helium in 2021, down 0.6% from 2020. The highest point was April, the import was 339.9 tons, and the lowest point was 201 tons in February, mainly affected by public health events and the Spring Festival. In addition, the import volume is affected by multiple factors such as the instability of the import shipping schedule, and the monthly import volume is also unstable, resulting in the short-term supply tension in the market.

2. The average import price decreased by 0.9%

Statistics of average import price of helium in China in 2021

The import price of helium in China will be relatively stable in 2021, and the average import price from the United States will fluctuate greatly, which is mainly caused by the high price of helium imported by some semiconductor enterprises due to the problems of import channels. According to the analysis of Lonza Information, the average import price of helium in China in 2021 is about 76.5 US dollars/kg, down 0.9% from 2020, of which the average import price of helium from the United States is 132.3 US dollars/kg; The average price of helium imported from Qatar is 71.2 USD/kg; The average price of helium imported from Australia is $64.9/kg.

3. Qatar is the main source

Proportion of helium imports in 2021 (by source)

Qatar, the United States and Australia are the main sources of China's helium imports. According to Lunzhong Information, 3005.9 tons of helium will be imported from Qatar in 2021, accounting for 82%; 346.1 tons were imported from the United States, accounting for 9%; 304.6 tons of helium were imported from Australia, accounting for 8%, and 24 tons of helium were imported from Russia, accounting for 1%. Compared with 2020, the U.S. regional production, shipping, tariffs and other factors have significantly restricted China's helium imports. The import volume from the United States has shown a further downward trend, while the increase in the import volume from Qatar has made up for the decrease in the import volume from the United States. In terms of its proportion, the import volume from Australia is relatively stable. In addition, a small amount of helium was imported from Russia in October and November.

4.  Jiangsu is the main receiving place

Proportion of helium import in 2021 (by receiving place)

In 2021, the regions that import helium are mainly Jiangsu, with 1106 tons of imports, accounting for 30%, ranking first, mainly Kunshan Air Chemical, Suzhou Linde, Wujiang Meisel, Wuxi Air Liquide and other enterprises; The second is Shanghai, with import volume of 989.3 tons, accounting for 27%. In addition, helium is imported from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Beijing, Liaoning and Tianjin. In 2022, the global helium resources may be in a state of first tension and then relatively loose, and the resumption of production of helium plants in Russia will still be a major destabilizing factor. With the control of public health events and the steady development of downstream semiconductor, optical fiber, nuclear magnetic resonance and other fields in the Chinese market, the overall demand for helium gas market will show growth. Supported by demand, China's helium market supply will also increase gradually. The capacity of China's helium plants will also be growing gradually. It is estimated that China's helium capacity will be 4 million cubic meters or about 710 tons in 2022. China's helium supply includes imports and self-produced helium. Longzhong Information predicts that China's helium market supply will reach 4300 tons in 2022.