"Empty supermarket shelves for months"... US essential goods crisis leads to shortage of 'sanitary pads'

Drought in South-Central Texas and Ukraine War Disrupt Cotton Supply
Essential Sanitary Pads Difficult to Replace with Other Products

Empty shelves in a supermarket. Due to the shortage of essential goods in the United States, even sanitary pads are experiencing scarcity. Photo by AP, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] As the shortage of daily necessities continues in the United States, even sanitary pads are experiencing scarcity.

According to a CNN report, American women have expressed dissatisfaction on social networking services (SNS), saying "finding sanitary pads is like reaching for the stars."

This is because the U.S. Midwest is experiencing drought, and the impact of the Ukraine war has further caused a shortage of cotton, the raw material for sanitary pads.

Sanitary pads, like infant formula, follow biological demand and cannot be easily substituted with other products, raising concerns.

One woman posted on an online community, "The sanitary pad shelves at the supermarket have been empty for months," adding, "I am purchasing items on the online shopping mall Amazon, but I am paying a hefty markup."

CNN explained the background of the sanitary pad shortage, stating, "The demand for cotton had already exploded around the time COVID-19 was spreading, but supply disruptions occurred along with plastics and other materials."

Russia and Ukraine, exporters of fertilizers necessary for cotton production, have been unable to properly procure fertilizers due to the war. Moreover, the situation has worsened as the Texas region, a cotton-producing area, is experiencing drought.

A representative from the daily necessities company P&G also mentioned, "It costs more to supply raw materials or processed goods to the required locations," adding, "Prices are increasingly heading toward an unpredictable situation."

Meanwhile, the United States is also facing a supply crisis for infant formula, one of the essential daily necessities. The reason is attributed to the rapid decline in breastfeeding rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the demand for substitute feeding with infant formula.