South Korea Addresses Syringe Hoarding Amid Middle East Supply Disruptions

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reported that hospitals are experiencing dwindling syringe inventories and rising prices on online platforms, despite daily production of about 4.5 million units, slightly above 2025 averages. The disruptions stem from the Middle East conflict, which has blocked naphtha supplies used in manufacturing plastics for syringes and intravenous fluid bags.

20, the ministry deployed 35 inspection teams, including police and medical device officials, to investigate intermediaries suspected of creating artificial shortages for profit. A mandate effective April 14 bans hoarding syringes and needles, with penalties of up to three years in prison or 100 million won ($68,000) in fines.

“Acts of hoarding medical devices essential to public health while exploiting a crisis are unacceptable," Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-Kyoung said in a statement. "We’ve seen a surge in speculative demand as hospitals and clinics are preemptively ordering extra stock in anticipation of price hikes, which is creating artificial bottlenecks," said spokesperson Jung Chul-woo of the Korea Medical Devices Association. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has directed domestic refiners to prioritize naphtha allocations for local companies over the next three months. Shortages of Middle Eastern crude have affected other products in South Korea, including garbage bags, instant noodle brands, and jet fuel across the region. ZeroHedge reported that U.S. ethane exports to China have increased as an alternative to naphtha, following the supply disruptions.”