Taiwanese chip makers call on government to stockpile helium, LNG — TSIA pleads for strategic supplies as US and Iran sign ceasefire in Middle East

TSIA urged the government to build strategic stockpiles of helium and LNG.

Helium is critical across chip manufacturing, has no substitute, and Taiwan has no helium stockpiles.

Taiwan holds about 11 days of strategic LNG reserves; LNG fuels over 40% of the island's power plants and nearly a third comes from Qatar.

A Strait of Hormuz blockade disrupted helium and LNG flows; by the third week of the war TSIA members were beginning to face shortages despite short-term inventories.

TSIA supports reopening nuclear power plants for more stable energy if legal and safety requirements are met; Taiwan shut its last plant in May 2025 and now imports over 95% of its energy.