Japan Moves to Steady Naphtha Supply for Medical Care

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has moved to secure naphtha supplies to avert disruption to medical care amid Middle East fuel concerns, Prime Minister Sane Takaichi said Monday. The government has set up a task force and appointed industry minister Ryosei Akazawa as minister in charge of securing stable supplies of critical materials, Takaichi told the House of Representatives Budget Committee. Naphtha, a petrochemical raw material, is integral to plastic used in medical devices, raising concerns over the effects of possible shortages on daily life. At the session, Kotaro Tatsumi of the Japanese Communist Party said that as artificial dialyzers rely on such materials, “patients are facing life-threatening risks.” Takaichi responded that “information on the supply chains is being aggregated from medical-related firms via the health ministry and provided to the industry ministry.” The government is working on measures including support for companies to share petroleum products. “No immediate (supply-demand) issues have emerged,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference the same day. “The government will coordinate closely with relevant companies without ruling out any options to secure supply chains.” According to the government, roughly 40 pct of domestic naphtha consumption depends on imports from the Middle East, but alternative sourcing could cover about four months of domestic demand. “I will make every possible effort to ensure the stable supply of essential goods for people’s daily lives and to strengthen supply chain measures,” Akazawa told a press conference on Monday. He will serve as a coordinator between the government and oil companies as well as petroleum product companies. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]