I’m currently in SK Seoul, and here, you have to throw out your trash in government-issued prepaid bags. That’s the rule. Two days ago, news broke that the Korean Ministry of Environment had launched an investigation into nationwide inventory after reports showed that bag manufacturers only had a month’s worth of raw materials left. With the Strait of Hormuz facing a potential blockade, the supply of naphtha has tightened, leading to growing concerns over production hiccups for the polyethylene bags made from it. My wife nagged me to go out and buy some in advance, so I just got back from the convenience store. I was curious, so i slipped the clerk a few bucks and asked some questions. "How much has the volume of sales increased compared to usual?" "At least several times over." "Is there enough stock here?" "I’m not sure. The owner told me not to sell more than two bags per person from now on." "Does it seem like ppl are panic-buying after seeing the news?" "Yeah i think so. Just in case i even told my boss and set a few aside for myself." This is happening in a country with the world’s fourth-largest ethylene production capacity. Right now it’s just a minor anecdote tucked away in a corner. But in two weeks, this will be felt everywhere on the planet. By then there won’t be any "nothing’s going to happen" talk or pointless questions. The clock is ticking at this very moment. #oott #iran