Air Liquide opens Taiwan factory as helium shortage tightens around chip makers — 200 specialized helium containers stranded near the Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz.

French industrial gas supplier Air Liquide opened a new factory near the port of Taichung, Taiwan, on Wednesday, as the semiconductor industry faces a worsening helium shortage triggered by the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, the New York Times reported. Roughly a third of global helium production is offline after Iran struck Qatar's largest liquefied natural gas facility earlier this month, damaging helium production lines that could take years to rebuild.

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