Due to the war in the Middle East, there is a serious supply bottleneck in polymer raw materials, especially polyethylene, and petrochemical products. In his evaluations on the subject, PLASFED President Ömer Karadeniz points out that regional developments directly affect the global petrochemical supply chain and uses the following expressions:
“The war and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East directly affect production and logistics processes in the region, where a significant portion of world petrochemical production is located. This situation leads to supply contraction and price fluctuations in many polymer raw materials, especially polyethylene.
Although the Turkish plastics industry has a strong production capacity, it has a structure that is largely dependent on imports for petrochemical raw materials. For this reason, disruptions in the supply chain and increases in freight costs directly affect producers.
The supply bottleneck in polymers and petrochemical products causes prices to rise rapidly or fluctuate within a short period of time. While this makes cost management difficult for industrialists, it can also negatively affect long-term order and production planning.
It is of great importance for Turkey to increase its petrochemical investments, develop alternative supply channels, and strengthen strategic raw material production in order to be less affected by such global crises.
The Turkish plastics industry can adapt quickly to crisis periods thanks to its flexible production capability and wide export network. The sector has the capacity to manage this process with proper planning and a strong industrial infrastructure.”
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.