Akazawa Orders Efforts to Secure Critical Material Supply Chain

Tokyo, April 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industry minister Ryosei Akazawa on Thursday instructed senior officials from relevant government ministries and agencies to grasp the supply chain situation of critical products amid the ongoing military conflict between the U.S.-Israel camp and Iran. At the first meeting of a related task force, Akazawa said, “I ask you all to grasp the situation of supply chains, including those overseas, and work to prevent (the Middle East situation) from disrupting medical services and public transportation.” “Japan has already secured the necessary amount of petroleum products,” said Akazawa, who was appointed as the minister in charge of securing stable supplies of critical materials on Monday. At the meeting, the government reported that fuel oil and ethylene oxide gas, used to sterilize medical equipment such as pediatric catheters, had temporarily become scarce, but that sufficient amounts have been secured for the time being. Following U.S.-Israeli attacks, Iran imposed a de facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for oil shipments. In a closely watched speech on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. side will attack Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.” Amid heightening fears that the conflict will drag on longer than expected, Japan urgently needs to secure a stable supply of petroleum products, including naphtha, a raw material for plastics. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]