UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why has China banned helium exports?

Q1. China's helium measure of July 10, 2026 was notified through a joint order of its Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Which one of the following most precisely describes the nature of the measure as it was announced?

  • A. An immediate and temporary prohibition on all helium exports, with no destination or exemption specified
  • B. An export-licensing regime under which shipments are permitted only against end-use certificates furnished by foreign buyers
  • C. An annual export quota capping helium shipments at a fixed tonnage, allocated among licensed traders
  • D. A prohibition confined to helium exports destined for the United States and its treaty allies

Q2. Which one of the following is the principal rationale attributed to China's July 2026 ban on helium exports?

  • A. Protecting scarce domestic helium supplies at a time of an acute global supply crunch
  • B. Exploiting its dominance of world helium production to gain leverage in trade negotiations
  • C. Retaliating against tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles by Western economies
  • D. Complying with a World Trade Organization ruling on the conservation of exhaustible natural resources

Q3. Which one of the following correctly identifies the property of helium that makes it indispensable for MRI scanners and other superconducting magnet systems?

  • A. It has the lowest boiling point of any known substance, at about 4.2 K, so liquid helium can cool magnet windings to superconducting temperatures
  • B. It is the lightest of all known gases, and therefore carries heat away from the magnet faster than any alternative coolant
  • C. It possesses the highest thermal conductivity of any gas at room temperature, allowing rapid heat removal without liquefaction
  • D. It is chemically inert, and therefore prevents the oxidation and consequent resistive heating of the magnet windings

Q4. Helium is used as the pressurant gas in the cryogenic upper stages of Indian launch vehicles. Which one of the following is the lead ISRO centre for the development of the Cryogenic Upper Stage, including its pressurisation systems and gas bottles?

  • A. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
  • B. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
  • C. U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)
  • D. Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR

Q5. Consider the following statements comparing the positions of major countries in the world helium economy: 1. The United States accounts for a larger share of world helium production than Qatar does. 2. China produces only a very small fraction of the world's helium, of the order of 1.6 per cent, and imports more than 80 per cent of the helium it consumes. 3. Qatar's helium, unlike that of the United States, is recovered entirely independently of natural gas processing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The United States accounts for a larger share of world helium production than Qatar does.
  2. China produces only a very small fraction of the world's helium, of the order of 1.6 per cent, and imports more than 80 per cent of the helium it consumes.
  3. Qatar's helium, unlike that of the United States, is recovered entirely independently of natural gas processing.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. Which of the following countries is/are NOT recognised as holding significant helium reserves or as a significant helium-producing country? 1. Qatar 2. Algeria 3. Russia 4. Brazil Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Qatar
  2. Algeria
  3. Russia
  4. Brazil
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding the disruption of Qatari helium supply during the 2026 West Asian conflict: 1. The facility whose helium output was halted is Ras Laffan, described as the world's largest liquefied natural gas plant, operated by the state-owned QatarGas. 2. QatarGas indicated that the damage would cut its annual helium exports by about 14 per cent, with repairs expected to take years rather than months. 3. Qatar, unlike the United States, is only a marginal participant in the helium trade, supplying less than 5 per cent of world supply, so the disruption was of limited global consequence. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The facility whose helium output was halted is Ras Laffan, described as the world's largest liquefied natural gas plant, operated by the state-owned QatarGas.
  2. QatarGas indicated that the damage would cut its annual helium exports by about 14 per cent, with repairs expected to take years rather than months.
  3. Qatar, unlike the United States, is only a marginal participant in the helium trade, supplying less than 5 per cent of world supply, so the disruption was of limited global consequence.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. The helium-producing complex at Ras Laffan, whose output was halted during the 2026 conflict, is operated by which one of the following entities?

  • A. QatarGas
  • B. Saudi Aramco
  • C. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
  • D. National Iranian Gas Company

Q9. With reference to the United States Federal Helium Reserve, consider the following statements: 1. The stockpile was held underground near Amarillo, Texas. 2. Its eventual disposal was mandated by a federal law enacted in 1996, which directed that the stored helium be sold off. 3. It was administered by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the Department of the Interior. 4. Its privatisation in 2024 was completed through a sale of the assets to Qatar's state-owned energy company. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The stockpile was held underground near Amarillo, Texas.
  2. Its eventual disposal was mandated by a federal law enacted in 1996, which directed that the stored helium be sold off.
  3. It was administered by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the Department of the Interior.
  4. Its privatisation in 2024 was completed through a sale of the assets to Qatar's state-owned energy company.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q10. Consider the following statements about how helium is obtained for industrial use: 1. Commercial helium is recovered as a by-product of natural gas processing rather than being manufactured synthetically. 2. Certain natural gas fields in the United States carry helium in concentrations of up to about 7.6 per cent, far above what most of the world's gas fields contain. 3. Like neon and argon, helium for industrial use is obtained principally by the fractional distillation of liquefied air. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Commercial helium is recovered as a by-product of natural gas processing rather than being manufactured synthetically.
  2. Certain natural gas fields in the United States carry helium in concentrations of up to about 7.6 per cent, far above what most of the world's gas fields contain.
  3. Like neon and argon, helium for industrial use is obtained principally by the fractional distillation of liquefied air.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Under Russia's export-restriction regime affecting helium, which remains in force through 2027, an export shipment of helium may proceed only with the sign-off of which one of the following authorities?

  • A. The Prime Minister
  • B. The President
  • C. The Director of the Federal Customs Service
  • D. The Management Committee of Gazprom