All The Shortages Caused By The Iran War—So Far
All The Shortages Caused By The Iran War—So Far
Publish Date: 2026-05-12 14:25:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
Here is a polite and respectful summary using an unordered list of the key points from the article:
– Calbee, Japan’s largest snack manufacturer, will change its snack packaging to black-and-white due to a shortage of naptha, an ink ingredient affected by the Iran-induced disruption of Middle Eastern supply.
– Japan imports 40% of its naptha consumption from the Middle East and relies on the Strait of Hormuz for transport, which has been closed since Iran was attacked at the end of February.
– This naphtha shortage is impacting various sectors beyond food, including the manufacturing of cars, kitchens, and paint.
– This packaging change follows another Japanese snack maker, Yamayoshi Seika, having to pause production of Wasabeef potato chips due to a lack of heavy oil for machinery.
– The wider closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to other significant shortages globally. In India, the lack of aluminum cans has caused a shortage of Diet Coke. Restaurants in India also struggle with cooking gas shortages, and the ceramics industry halts production due to natural gas supply issues.
– Iran strikes have also stopped production of helium, essential for MRI machines and AI chip manufacturing, in Qatar.
– There’s also a surge in global tungsten demand, used in AI chips and munitions, leading to depletion of U.S. stocks.
– Sulfur, mainly supplied by Persian Gulf refineries, is essential across various industries, and its supply is disrupted, risking a global fertilizer supply crisis and skyrocketing food prices.
– A jet fuel shortage has caused airlines to cancel flights and raise ticket prices, describing a global fuel crisis.
– The economic impact is expected to be long-lasting even after the Hormuz Strait reopens, with gas prices skyrocketing and inflation rising.
– President Donald Trump does not focus on Americans’ financial situations in considering war cessation.
– Experts closely watch what the U.S. will do next, with concerns of a possible major combat restart in Iran.
