Taiwan: Customers rush to buy toilet paper

Taiwan retailers have seen a rush on toilet paper over the weekend, as word spread of an imminent sharp price rise. Sources claim that the price rise is to happen due to a drastic rise in global pulp prices. Due to production disruptions in Brazil and forest fires in Canada, the global cost of short fiber pulp, which is used to produce toilet paper, has risen from US$650 per ton on average to US$800 as of February, Taiwan News quoted the Ministry of Economic Affairs as saying. Following the announcement on the price hike, customers had rushed to purchase stocks of toilet paper.