TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Amid fears that the Iran War will cause shortages of petrochemical products, Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said Saturday that the production of plastic bags would increase 5,000 tons per month.

State-run energy group CPC Corp., Taiwan was expanding its monthly production of Polyethylene by at least 5,500 tons, per CNA. The increase was enough to turn out the equivalent of 1.25 billion plastic bags containing 1 kilogram of products each, Kung said.

Distribution of the bags will happen at consumer-friendly prices, according to the minister. The production increase will mean there will be no shortages and no fear of price gouging, officials said.

Initial talks focused on Zhen Wu Hardware and Show Ba Department Store as distributors, but the low-price plastic bags would also be available from other retailers, Kung said.

Ministry officials said 42 retail centers and 284 market associations had reported a tightening of supplies, with 19 centers and five markets requesting assistance from the ministry in contacting suppliers of plastic bags.