Important raw material for chip cooling! The Strait of Hormuz “locks in” helium; 64.7% of Korea’s total imports come from Qatar.

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The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran war is directly pushing a raw material supply crisis to the core of the global semiconductor industry chain.

According to a previous report by The Wall Street Journal, three helium production facilities in Qatar have ceased operations, resulting in about one-third of the global helium supply disappearing from the market. Helium is an indispensable key raw material for semiconductor wafer cooling, and 64.7% of Korea’s helium imports last year came from Qatar.

The realization of supply chain risks, combined with the surge in international crude oil prices which at one point hit $111 per barrel, has caused deep concerns in the market about cost pressures and raw material security in the semiconductor industry.

Analysts point out that if the blockade continues, the procurement costs and time pressures faced by related enterprises in the medium term will rise significantly.

Helium supply "confirmed shortage", bromine’s potential risks cannot be ignored

The impact on helium supply has evolved from an early warning to actual reduction. According to a Wall Street Journal report on the 6th, three helium production facilities in Qatar have ceased operations. C&EN, a publication under the American Chemical Society, also pointed out that since the war broke out "one-third of the global helium supply has disappeared from the market," and warned that "if the conflict continues for more than two weeks, the chaos faced by helium users may take months to resolve."

Helium is used for wafer cooling in semiconductor manufacturing and is essential in process flows. According to the Korea International Trade Association, 64.7% of Korea’s helium imports in 2025 are projected to come from Qatar. As the Strait of Hormuz is blockaded, maritime transportation routes for Qatari helium are also blocked, further increasing supply chain breakage risks.

Compared with helium, the impact on bromine supply has not yet reached a “confirmed” stage, but the high concentration of import sources is also causing caution in the industry. Bromine is used in semiconductor etching processes, and high-purity hydrogen bromide (HBr) is widely used in polysilicon etching steps in DRAM and NAND flash manufacturing.

97.5% of Korea’s bromine imports come from Israel, making it one of the 14 semiconductor supply chain items with high dependence on the Middle East. Currently, bromine is still considered a potential risk factor and is still in the relatively safe range compared to helium. However, if the situation further escalates, its vulnerability will quickly be exposed.

Corporate response: Stockpiles and diversified supply to buy time

Facing supply shocks, Korean semiconductor companies are leveraging prior stockpiling and diversified supplier arrangements to buy short-term buffer time. It is reported that SK Hynix not only holds certain helium inventories, but has also secured new supply channels and is basically out of the short-term impact range.

However, medium-term risks remain difficult to eliminate. If the halt in Qatari gas production and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persist, the cost and time burden of procuring key raw materials will continue to accumulate for companies. Even if supply is not completely interrupted, switching to verified alternative suppliers still takes time.

According to a comprehensive analysis of public securities firm research reports from the 6th to 9th by AI investment information platform Epic AI, the Iran conflict is delivering a direct shock to the global energy market through the Strait of Hormuz blockade and surging oil prices, fueling concerns over expanded short-term volatility and rising costs in the semiconductor industry.

Analysts warn that if the conflict drags on, risks such as delayed data center investment, rising financing costs, and global factory shutdowns remain, and the additional pressure faced by Korea, which has a high dependence on energy imports via the Strait of Hormuz, should not be underestimated.

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