The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has caused a stir by claiming the privately owned German industrial gas major Messer “is tied to the Chinese Communist Party” and calling into question its recent purchase of what was known as the US Federal Helium Reserve.
Following the Biden Administration announcing the final sale and transfer of the US government’s remaining helium reserve to Messer last June, the Committee has been seeking to understand the transfer of the nation’s helium assets and the sale’s impact on national security and US businesses, according to a statement.
The Committee’s website claims that Messer “even touts sending helium produced in the US directly to one of the company’s plants in China,” without citing specific instances. Messer has been contacted for comment.
“The Committee seeks to better understand the Bureau of Land Management’s and General Services Administration’s analyses of and perspective regarding the transfer of the helium assets including any analysis of national security concerns associated with the transaction or mitigations put in place,” wrote Chairman James Comer.
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