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2026-05-25 16:53:53
[Former Japanese Trading Company Executive Warns of Naphtha Shortage as Early as End of June, Contrary to Official Assessment] ⑴ A former executive of a major trading company stated that Japan may face a shortage of naphtha-derived chemical products as early as the end of June, a judgment that contrasts sharply with the government's assertion that supplies can be sustained until next year. ⑵ Fumiya Kokubu, a visiting researcher at the Japan Energy Economics Research Institute and former president of Marubeni Corporation, said on Monday that replacing the 15 million kiloliters of naphtha Japan imported annually from the Middle East before the outbreak of the conflict is "almost impossible." ⑶ "A huge source of supply has disappeared," he said at a webinar. He added that although countries like the United States have become alternative sources of procurement for Japan, continuing to purchase naphtha from the US on a large scale is "unrealistic," and the deeper issues go far beyond the logistical bottlenecks previously mentioned by the government.
