Havoc as Trump triggers global shortage of world's 'most-consumed chemical' [View all]

Source: Raw Story

May 9, 2026 1:01PM ET


President Donald Trump’s war against Iran – along with the resulting blockade imposed by both Tehran and Washington – has sparked fear among experts that the supply of the world’s “most-consumed chemical” may soon reach a “critical” shortage, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

That chemical is sulfuric acid, which is relied upon in the production of “food, metal, paper, computer chips, clean water” and more – with a “large chunk” of the world’s supply of sulfuric acid coming directly from the Persian Gulf, the Journal reported.

“There’s only weeks, maybe if you’re lucky a month, planned for in their pipeline and storage,” said Kunal Sinha, who formerly managed a sulfuric-acid business for the mining firm Glencore, speaking with the Journal. “Supply-chain disruption, whether it’s a rail strike or the Strait of Hormuz being closed, is a problem.”

The partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping waterway off the coast of Iran – has caused major disruptions in the flow of oil, with 20% of the world’s oil supply historically traveling through the strait. Beyond oil, the disruption of traffic through the strait has also sparked a shortage of helium, a resource that plays a critical role in applications ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to medical equipment.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/iran-war-2676873709/