Helium: Movement

A $1.8 billion trade led by the US and France

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Helium trades under HS 2804.29, a code that also covers neon, krypton and xenon. In 2024 reported exports were worth $1.83 billion, led by the United States (29.5%), France (18.5%), Algeria (8.7%) and Canada (5.5%). Imports of $3.08 billion went mainly to France (15.3%), China (14.2%), South Korea (10.1%) and Taiwan (8.0%). Qatar, a third of world output, does not appear among the top reported exporters. Liquid helium travels in insulated ISO containers and boils off, so long voyages lose product. The EU and United States kept import bans on Russian helium in 2025.

Main trade routes, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Largest bilateral flows (width = value) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, reported exports by the top four exporters of each traded form to their partners (US$). Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Hover a line or circle for values.

Rare gases (mostly helium) · HS 280429

World exports 2024 $1.83 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $3.08 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value United States 29.5% France 18.5% Algeria 8.7% Canada 5.5% Poland 5.4% Germany 5.4% Top importers, share of value France 15.3% China 14.2% South Korea 10.1% Taiwan (Other Asia, nes) 8% Germany 7.5% Japan 6.1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.