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2026-04-06 16:26:42
[The Middle East Conflict Ignites More Than Just Oil Prices] The impact of the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East is gradually spreading from the energy sector to the chemical and high-end manufacturing supply chains. In Seoul, South Korea, in recent weeks, "Have you bought any garbage bags?" has become a somewhat helpless greeting among neighbors. Affected by the Middle East situation, garbage bags, an essential part of South Korean life, have become scarce and even sold out in some supermarkets. The price increase of plastic bags in South Korea is due to a sharp decline in naphtha imports, leading to a surge in the price of ethylene, which is used to produce plastic bags. Under the cost pressure brought about by this raw material "supply disruption" crisis, many global chemical companies announced price increases in March. US chemical giant Dow Chemical doubled the previously announced price increase for polyethylene. German Wacker Chemie comprehensively raised the prices of its organosilicon products, affecting approximately 2,800 products. Furthermore, the conflict in the Middle East has also brought helium, a colorless and odorless inert gas, into focus. Qatar supplies nearly one-third of the world's helium demand. Due to an attack on liquefied natural gas facilities, helium production lines were damaged and repairs will take several years. Helium spot prices have recently surged by more than 50%. (CCTV Finance)
