Russia Limits Exports of Noble Gases, a Key Ingredient for Making Chips

Semiconductor chips on a circuit board of a computer in a photo illustration taken on Feb. 25, 2022. Florence Lo/Reuters

Sanctions-hit Russia has limited exports of noble gases such as neon, a key ingredient for making chips, until the end of 2022 to strengthen its market position, its trade ministry said on Thursday.

Russia’s export curbs could worsen the supply crunch in the global chips market. Ukraine was one of the world’s largest suppliers of noble gases until it suspended production at its plants in the cities of Mariupol and Odesa in March.