TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced measures Friday to secure the petrochemical supply chain, from raw materials to retail, in response to tensions in the Middle East.

Recent instability in the Middle East has disrupted the global petrochemical supply chain, raising concerns among consumers and small businesses about the availability of everyday plastic products. Some vendors in Taiwan have reported difficulties in securing shipments, according to Storm Media.

The DPP said these shortages are partly due to past reliance on lower-cost imports. By expanding domestic production capacity and improving supply chain coordination, local manufacturers are now better positioned to meet demand.

At the upstream level, the ministry has coordinated with CPC Corp., the country’s largest state-owned energy company, to restart a plant that had been offline for maintenance. Once fully operational, the monthly ethylene supply will increase from 60 million kilograms to 79 million kg, according to Storm Media.

The added capacity could allow downstream manufacturers to produce roughly 340 million plastic bags measuring 30×30 centimeters. Production is expected to reach 90,000 tonnes by May, helping stabilize domestic supplies of essential goods.

The ministry has also worked with Formosa Plastics and Usi to adjust supply allocations and diversify import sources. Formosa Plastics is Taiwan’s largest fully integrated petrochemical group, while Usi specializes in mid- and downstream products, including styrene-based plastics and ethylene-based plastics.

In the midstream manufacturing sector, the ministry reviewed operations at roughly 20 plastics companies, encouraging continued production increases. Downstream, it is cooperating with major retailers to coordinate inventory, prioritizing commercial districts and market needs to stabilize the supply of essential consumer plastics.