NEW YORK, March 17. /TASS/. Asia’s semiconductor supply chain faces rising tail risk from helium tightness as the conflict around Iran drags on and Qatar’s natural gas disruption persists, Fitch Ratings said.

"Qatar’s gas disruption is tightening the supply of helium, a natural gas byproduct used in semiconductor manufacturing and medical imaging. Precautionary buying is amplifying the squeeze. Helium is produced during natural gas extraction and liquefaction, so any halt in gas production can quickly trigger alarm and push buyers towards the spot market," the agency said.

Fitch experts believe the conflict duration will decide the credit implications. Even if "Qatar’s facilities restart," the helium shortage may not end quickly. South Korea appears among the most vulnerable, according to the agency. The country sourced about 64.7% of its helium imports from Qatar last year. "Taiwan faces similar risks as it relies on Qatar for the majority of its helium supplies. Near-term alternative sourcing is difficult, with higher-cost US supply a potential fallback," Fitch said.