Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has begun communicating with India, the US, and Africa to secure naphtha supplies, as the ongoing Middle East conflict threatens imports of the key feedstock for plastics.Based on the talks, Trade Minister Budi Santoso claimed that Indonesia has secured a commitment of naphtha supply—which has so far been dominated by imports from the Middle East.“But perhaps the quantity or the supply will take time because of the shifting of demand. In addition, the current war situation is causing shipping slowdowns,” he stated here on Monday.As the imports will take time, for the time being, the industry should rely on available stocks, he added.”Imports from those three countries have been processed. It just takes time. So, we are still running with existing stocks,” Budi said.In this regard, the government is trying to expedite the arrival of new supplies to alleviate concerns among businesses and traders who are starting to be affected by rising plastic prices.However, Budi could not yet confirm when plastic prices would stabilize, as this condition is highly dependent on global developments and the smooth flow of supplies from alternative countries.”This is indeed a global crisis. But we have already obtained some alternatives (for plastic raw materials) from other countries, and we continue to seek other countries that can supply,” he said.While coordinating with Indonesian trade representatives abroad to help find more alternative sources, he acknowledged that difficulty in finding raw materials for plastic is a global crisis.Regional partners such as Singapore, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan are also affected by the supply disruption.Domestic plastic product prices have surged by 30 to 40 percent as of April, amid the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, despite a recently reached ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.The conflict has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipments of commodities including naphtha and driving up global crude oil prices.High dependence on imported raw materials has also led to soaring prices for the final product.