Ministry says there are no supply issues with volume-based waste bags, helium, or hydrobromic acid

[The Financial News]
On April 2, Minister Kim Jeong-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources held a meeting with six government ministries related to major petrochemical products and nine industry associations to review the supply and demand situation following the Middle East war. The meeting was convened amid concerns about potential disruptions in the supply of petrochemical products, to assess the impact of the Middle East war on domestic supply chains for key items and to discuss a joint public-private response.
At the meeting, the relevant ministries reported that there are currently no disruptions in the supply of petrochemical products such as IV fluid packaging materials, ethylene gas, and volume-based waste bags, or in materials including helium, hydrobromic acid, and sulfuric acid. However, given the wide variety of petrochemical products and the high complexity of their supply chains, participants agreed to maintain rigorous monitoring and ensure thorough management of supply and demand.
Last week, the government implemented regulations to restrict exports of Naphtha and stabilize its supply. Building on this, it is preparing the "Regulation on the Prohibition of Hoarding and Supply-Demand Adjustment of Petrochemical Products," which will ban hoarding of petrochemical products and enable production orders to prevent supply disruptions for essential items such as those used in healthcare and medical services.
Minister Kim stated, "Naphtha is not only 'the rice of industry' but also a core raw material that underpins everyday life, so we will make every effort to build a stable supply chain for petrochemical products to ensure that the lifeblood of people’s daily lives and industry is not cut off." He added, "The more difficult the situation, the more important it is to recognize that our people, businesses, and government form a single community. We will respond firmly to acts that undermine community values, such as hoarding and fake news."

aber@fnnews.com Reporter Park Ji-young Reporter