Singaporean petrochemical firm PCS has declared force majeure on shipments as the Middle East war has disrupted maritime transportation and supply chains, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters and three people with knowledge of the matter.
"The duration and full extent of the force majeure event remains uncertain," PCS said in the letter. Force majeure is a legal term meaning a company cannot fulfil its contracts because of forces outside of its control.
There were no details on what products would be affected.
PCS did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The company is likely to still fulfil some deliveries to customers, though volumes will be curtailed, one of the three sources said, adding that plant operations at its site are still ongoing.
At least two other petrochemical firms - Indonesia's Chandra Asri and South Korea's Yeochun NCC - have also declared force majeure on their supplies this week.
Asian cracker operators have been reeling from the impact of the Middle East conflict, as most of their naphtha feedstock comes from the Gulf.
Naphtha is the raw material for petrochemicals used in consumer products including paints and plastics.
PCS operates two crackers in Singapore's Jurong Island that can produce 1.1 million tonnes per year of ethylene, according to its website.
(Reporting by Trixie Yap; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Christian Schmollinger)
