The panic buying of toilet paper has spread throughout Taiwan, as word of an imminent price hike has resulted in a sharp rise in ‘emergency’ buying.

Social media has been filled with images of empty shelves, following the news that manufacturers have written to retailers warning of a 10-30% price increase next month, due to a rise in global pulp prices.

In Taiwan, toilet paper comes in packs rather than rolls, and is used as tissue. Taiwan’s largest home shopping channel, ET Mall, said that six of its 20 top-selling items were toilet paper, with demand 10 times higher than usual.

Canadian forest fires and production disruption in Brazil are among the factors being blamed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for the rise. However, one of Taiwan’s largest toilet paper suppliers, YFY, claim that pulp costs have increased even faster than estimates, soaring 50% since mid-2017.

While a price rise for raw materials would result in higher toilet paper prices globally, there are few reports of rise in other countries. Taiwan’s cabinet, the Executive Yuan, has vowed to act if it finds local toilet paper vendors colluded to raise prices without good reason.