In its own statement, AdvaMed said that the sale would force U.S. and international suppliers to seek supplies from the Middle East and Eastern European countries, like Russia, whose natural gas company Gazprom recently began supplying helium from its Amur plant. It also will have six process trains running by 2025, raising its share in the global helium market. Currently, geopolitical tensions are high due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and turmoil in the Middle East from the war between Israel and Palestine, meaning that any reliance on foreign suppliers in these areas would be risky and come with its own set of challenges.

“While innovations to use less helium in medtech are underway, MR machines are made to last for years as an investment and aren’t easily replaced. AdvaMed urges the White House to delay the sale and privatization of the Federal Helium Reserve until outstanding issues identified by the Compressed Gas Association are resolved,” said Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of AdvaMed.


Other areas that could be impacted include national defense, nuclear energy, space exploration, search and rescue missions, and industrial applications. In healthcare, access to helium-neon lasers for eye surgery could also be limited, as could access to semiconductors, which are used in various sectors, including for medical device building.

The U.S. already faced months of delays in April 2022 when the Bureau of Land Management transferred operations and maintenance for the FHR to a private company. The interruptions were brought on by the need to identify and correct operational issues, meet regulatory requirements, and complete permits, illustrating the risks of privatizing the reserve, according to Gottwald.

“A poorly executed sale will lead to a helium supply chain crisis, impacting American competitiveness, economic growth, and national security,” he said.

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