Japan Can Supply Naphtha-Based Products beyond March: Takaichi

Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)–Japan will be able to continue supplying naphtha-derived petrochemical products beyond fiscal 2026, which ends in March next year, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said at a ministerial meeting on the situation in the Middle East. In response to bottlenecks in the distribution of paints and thinners, she also outlined at the meeting Tuesday a policy to increase the supply of raw materials such as toluene to up to 1.8 times the usual levels. Naphtha supplies in Japan have recovered to about 85 pct of levels seen before the Middle East crisis through domestic refining and alternative procurement. Imports of intermediate products such as polyethylene also rose, helping to curb inventory drawdowns in April, the prime minister said. To expand supplies of toluene and other materials, the government will establish a direct-distribution channel linking petrochemical producers and oil distributors with thinner and paint manufacturers, in addition to existing distribution channels through trading houses. “We will ensure that supplies reach even small building contractors in every region,” Takaichi said. She also instructed relevant ministers to work intensively on eliminating bottlenecks in the distribution of plastic materials used by horticultural growers. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]