News

Japan secures enough petroleum-derived naphtha to last into 2027

The Japan Times · last updated

Japan has secured enough petroleum-derived naphtha to last into 2027, with imports expected to triple in May as the country tries to address concerns about sufficient supplies of oil and oil-derived products.

Questions over possible shortages of naphtha — used for products ranging from medical supplies to cheap consumer goods to plastic foam, paint thinner and construction materials — have been rising due to the Iran war, which disrupted oil supplies from the Middle East.

“We had previously indicated that the supply of naphtha-derived chemical products would continue for more than six months,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a government meeting about the situation in the Middle East Thursday evening.

View full article

here today, more tomorrow

We’ve launched briefing.center with a focus on the press and media.

And we’ve added Citizen Cartwright, a daily quick-read news summary by veteran Washington journalist Linda Cartwright. We’ve also created a new voting rights knowledge center for Citizen Cartwright subscribers. (You can sign up for a dedicated morning email at citizencartwright.com.)

You can sign up here for full access to press and media and Citizen Cartwright on briefing.center.

You can use briefing.center as the center of your information management, or just one of your tools. We’re happy to discuss your information needs.

Sign up