Post #6007

🇰🇷Seoul Probes Four Firms for Syringe Hoarding South Korean police on April 28 announced they are investigating four medical device distributors suspected of violating a national ban on syringe stockpiling, following a complaint by the food and drug safety ministry. The ban, imposed in April, prohibits companies from holding more than 150% of average monthly 2025 sales volumes in syringes and needles for five or more consecutive days. The supply crunch traces to US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted naphtha shipments — a petrochemical feedstock essential for producing plastic medical components. The disruption has cascaded across Asia's petrochemical sector, forcing governments to intervene as firms reportedly exploited shortages by stockpiling and reselling at inflated prices. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency vowed to expand inspections across the full supply chain to deter further violations. #SouthKorea @asianomics