What supply chains are being choked off by war?

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report – March 11, 2026

Episode Theme:
What supply chains are being choked off by war?
Host: Sabri Benishore (in for David Brancaccio)

Overview

This episode dives into the ripple effects of conflict in the Middle East, specifically the shutdown of the critical Strait of Hormuz following attacks on cargo ships and the laying of mines. While oil and gas supply shocks grab headlines, the episode highlights a broader, more complex disruption to global supply chains—including critical raw materials like aluminum, helium, plastics, and petrochemicals. The episode also touches on how these disruptions affect global memory chip supplies, which in turn impact a wide range of industries and countries, especially in Asia. In a separate segment, the episode reports on the impact of the U.S. government shutdown on TSA screeners and airport operations across the country.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

[01:01 – 01:39]

• Three cargo ships struck by unknown projectiles; possible Iranian sea mines detected.
• U.S. bombs Iranian mine-laying ships; effectively, the Strait of Hormuz is “shut down.”
• This isn’t just about oil and gas—the entire spectrum of supply chains is under pressure.

2. Beyond Energy: What’s at Risk?

Interview with Chris Rogers, Head of Supply Chain Research at S&P Global
[01:41 – 02:28]

• A "very broad range" of materials is disrupted.
• Aluminum: Requires significant electricity to produce—supply chain at risk.
• Noble Gases: Especially helium; “They produce and export around one-third of the world’s helium. And that’s really important for the electronics sector.” (Chris Rogers, 01:50)
• Plastics & Petrochemicals: Ethylene glycol (used in automotive, among others) facing interruptions.

3. The Scope of the Disruption

[02:28 – 03:15]

• Non-energy commodities are severely hit—anywhere between 33% - 40% of global supply restricted.
• Impact: Price surges and difficulties for buyers, particularly in Asia.
• Helium: US and Europe supply themselves, but Asian manufacturers face major shortages.
• Quote: “However long the conflict lasts, it will take at least that long to recover.” (Chris Rogers, 03:07)

4. Memory Chip Industry at Risk

[03:15 – 04:11]

• South Korean lawmakers warn of memory chip supply chain threats.
• Memory chips were already in shortage before the conflict.
• South Korea: World’s biggest exporter—produces 40-50% of global memory chips (Samsung and SK Hynix).
• Chips used across smartphones, computers, cars, industrial machinery.
• The war adds further strain: “That’s another area that’s going to be shut in." (Chris Rogers, 03:57)

5. Who Suffers Most?

[04:11 – 05:04]

• Asian countries: Japan, South Korea, and the ASEAN region most affected—both for imports and exports.
• Automotive & Consumer Goods: The Gulf region is key for Japanese automotive exports (accounts for ~10%), and 3% of consumer food.
• Europe: Will face secondary effects on both consumption and exports.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Supply Chain Hit Beyond Oil/Gas:

  “A very broad range of materials… aluminium, noble gases, helium… plastics and petrochemicals, like ethylene glycol.”
  — Chris Rogers, 01:50

• On Severity:

  “For a lot of these materials it’s anywhere between a third and 40% [of global supply]... for certain buyers… they’re going to Asia for Asian manufacturers. In helium, for example, US and Europe produce their own. That could cause significant disruptions.”
  — Chris Rogers, 02:38

• On Memory Chip Risks:

  “Big producers of memory in South Korea… Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix… were already running behind demand. South Korea is the biggest exporter in the world of memory chips… between 40% and 50% of global production.”
  — Chris Rogers, 03:28

• On Recovery:

  “However long the conflict lasts, it will take at least that long to recover.”
  — Chris Rogers, 03:07

• On Who’s Hit:

  “Many of the Asian countries, Japan, South Korea, the ASEAN region, are going to feel more disruptions… It’s not just on an inbound basis… also what they’re selling… For Japanese manufacturers [the Gulf] accounts for around 10% of their automotive exports.”
  — Chris Rogers, 04:24

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:01] Host outlines latest events in Hormuz Strait and stakes for global trade.
• [01:41] Interview with Chris Rogers begins.
• [01:50] Chris details specific goods affected.
• [02:38] Chris explains scale and possible regional consequences.
• [03:28] Breakdown of global memory chip risks.
• [04:24] Geographic spread of supply chain pain.
• [05:04] Interview concludes.

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Additional Report: TSA Agents Amid Government Shutdown

1. TSA Workforce Strains and Passenger Delays

[05:27 – 06:31]

• TSA screeners are working without pay due to the federal shutdown, causing absenteeism.
• Some airports, like Houston and New Orleans, see 3-hour passenger lines.
• Screeners quitting at a faster rate than during previous shutdowns; >300 have left since shutdown began.
• Quote: “Childcare doesn’t take IOUs, grocery stores don’t take IOUs.” – Johnny Jones, AFGE Council 100, 06:23

2. Passenger Impact

• Prolonged security delays may encourage travelers to drive instead of fly if the math of flight time vs. waiting doesn’t add up.

  “If your flight is taking an hour and you’re being told get to the airport three hours in advance... it would just be quicker to drive.” – Henry Hartevelt, Atmosphere Research Group, 06:54

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Summary Conclusion:
This punchy, information-rich episode unpacks the underappreciated but critical choke points in global supply chains hit by the latest Middle Eastern conflict, beyond the usual oil and gas narrative. It sharply details how raw materials, gases, plastics, and especially memory chips are strained by the Hormuz bottleneck, with substantial consequences for Asian manufacturing and global consumers. Additionally, the episode neatly pivots to domestic challenges, spotlighting the ripple effects of the U.S. government shutdown on airport operations and travelers.

Transcript

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[Sabri Benishore]

It is not just Oil Supply chains from aluminum to helium are getting choked off by the war from marketplace. I'm Sabri Benishore in for David Brancaccio. Three cargo ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz today. Reuters says they were hit by unknown projectiles. There are also reports that Iran laid a small number of mines in the strait days ago, prompting the US to bomb several Iranian mine laying ships. All of this underscores the fact that this critical passage is basically shut down and not just for oil and gas. Chris Rogers is head of supply Chain research at S and P Global and is here to talk about it.

[Nancy Marshall Genser]

Good morning.

[Chris Rogers]

Good morning.

[Sabri Benishore]

So you know, we know about oil not getting through, we know about natural gas not getting through the Strait of Hormuz. What else besides energy is getting blocked off or disrupted right now?

[Chris Rogers]

A very broad range of materials. So we're watching particularly aluminium, which requires electricity to be produced. We've been particularly watching some of the noble gases, so that includes principally helium. They produce an export around one third of the world's helium. And that's really important for the electronics sector. We're also watching plastics and the materials used to make them. So this is a full range, a full menagerie of different petrochemicals, for example, ethylene glycol, which has a number of different uses, including in the automotive industry.

[Sabri Benishore]

For natural gas, for example, a fifth of global supply has been taken off the market. How bad are these disruptions for all of these other products that you mention?

[Chris Rogers]

Whilst it's a fifth of natural gas, for a lot of these materials it's anywhere between a third and 40%. So taking that much out has really two effects. Firstly, there's the price effect, of course Shortage of supply. But second of all, of course, that shortage of supply means that for certain buyers and for a lot of those materials, they're going to Asia for Asian manufacturers. So in the example of helium, for example, the US And Europe produce their own. That could cause significant disruptions. And I think an important point is that however long the conflict lasts, it will take at least that long to recover.

[Sabri Benishore]

A few days ago, Korean lawmakers were warning that the supply of memory chips was threatened by the war. What does war with Iran have to do with the global memory chip supply chain?

[Chris Rogers]

Yes, I think the first point to make is that the memory chip sector was already in a situation of shortage. And that's largely because a lot of the production of the chips that are used in regular devices like smartphones and computers and cars and industrial machinery all requires memory. So. So already, the big producers of memory in South Korea, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, were already running behind demand. At the end of the day, South Korea is the biggest exporter in the world of memory chips. Depending on what type you're talking about, it's anywhere between 40% and 50% of global production. So that's another area that's going to be shut in.

[Sabri Benishore]

It sounds like this is touching. Products that affect everybody. But are there countries or regions in particular that are suffering the brunt of these supply chain disruptions more than others?

[Chris Rogers]

Yeah, I think many of the Asian countries, Japan, South Korea, the ASEAN region, are going to feel more disruptions to their supply chains. And it's not just on a inbound basis. So what they're buying from the region, it's also what they're selling to the region as well. The Middle east area, specifically the Gulf Cooperation Council, accounts for around 3% of consumer food. It's particularly important for Japanese manufacturers. The region accounts for around 10% of their automotive exports. And then as a secondary area, we expect to see European consumers and European exports have challenges as well.

[Sabri Benishore]

Chris Rogers is head of supply chain research at S and P Global. Thank you so much.

[Chris Rogers]

Thanks for having me.

[Sabri Benishore]

Some TSA screeners haven't been showing up to airports around the country. They aren't getting paid because of the partial government shutdown that has caused huge lines and long waits. At airports. In Houston and New Orleans earlier this week, some passengers are arriving at airports three or more hours early. And things could get worse. As Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genser reports,

[Nancy Marshall Genser]

TSA agents like these workers screening my luggage before a recent flight from the Albany, New York airport are considered essential employees. So they have to work without pay during government shutdowns. The screeners will miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week. Johnny Jones is secretary Treasurer of AFGE Council 100, the union representing TSA employees. He works at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Jones says if some agents end up taking other jobs, most likely it's due

[Sabri Benishore]

to lack of funds. You know, childcare doesn't take IOUs, groceries, grocery stores don't take IOU.

[Nancy Marshall Genser]

Jones says the number of screeners quitting their jobs jumped during the last government shutdown. CBS is reporting that more than 300 TSA workers have left since this shutdown started last month. If more agents quit, the lines at airports could get even longer and passengers will need to reevaluate, says Henry Hartevelt, an airline industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

[Chris Rogers]

If your flight is taking an hour and you're being told get to the airport three hours and in advance, you're looking at that and saying the numbers just don't add up and that it

[Nancy Marshall Genser]

would just be quicker to drive. I'm Nancy Marshall Genser for Marketplace, and

[Sabri Benishore]

in New York, I'm Sabri Benishore with the Marketplace Morning Report. From APM American Public Media.

[Rima Reis]

Hey everyone, it's Rima Reis, and this week on my podcast, this Is Uncomfortable. I'm talking with someone a lot of us grew up watching still Steve Burns from Blue's Clues. Steve opens up about stumbling into the job in his early 20s and suddenly becoming a household name. But behind the scenes, things were more complicated, especially when it came to money and figuring out who he was. Outside the show, people knew Steve the

[Chris Rogers]

Green Stripey Steve, and I felt like Green Stripey Steve sort of ate Steve Burns, and there was no Steve Burns anymore.

[Rima Reis]

Be sure to catch my conversation with Steve on this Is Uncomfortable. Wherever you get your podcasts.