Azernews.Az

AzerNEWS Staff

Read more

European Union countries could face shortages of certain medicines if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, as the bloc remains heavily dependent on Asian imports for pharmaceutical raw materials, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the French publication La Tribune, a potential disruption in the strategically vital waterway could severely affect global supply chains and drive up the cost of petrochemical products essential to the pharmaceutical industry.

The report noted that EU member states source nearly 80% of their pharmaceutical raw materials from Asian countries, making the region highly vulnerable to logistical disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz. A closure of the route could therefore increase the risk of shortages of several critical medicines across Europe.

Analysts cited by the publication warned that a sharp rise in petrochemical prices, combined with transport disruptions, could place additional pressure on pharmaceutical manufacturers already struggling with fragile global supply chains.