Govt Moves to Ensure Petroleum-Based Critical Supplies Amid Middle East Crisis

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, April 4, 2026

The government has launched an initiative to address supply challenges for medical equipment and other critical items made from petroleum-derived materials, citing disruptions in the distribution of certain petroleum products.

In response to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the government convened its first cross-ministry task force on Thursday to ensure the security of essential supplies, including petroleum products.

The task force is composed of senior officials including those from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

Although the necessary volume has been secured for Japan as a whole, there are supply imbalances and distribution bottlenecks in some areas, said Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa, who is also responsible for ensuring the stable supply of critical materials amid the situation in the Middle East.

Akazawa instructed each ministry to conduct a comprehensive review of the supply of critical materials, saying, “I want the relevant ministries and agencies to cooperate broadly to grasp the reality of supply chains and make all-out efforts to ensure stable supplies by staying one step ahead.”

Although there had been a shortage of heavy oil necessary for the sterilization of medical catheters for newborns, injection needles and blood collection tubes, the necessary amount has been secured for the time being through coordination with oil primary distributors, according to the industry ministry.

The ministry has already addressed issues concerning ethylene oxide gas, which is required for sterilizing medical equipment.

Meanwhile, it now faces emerging concerns over the supply of thinner for paint manufacturing.

The ministry plans to investigate the supply chain to locate points of disruption.

The fisheries ministry plans to introduce a special measure by mid-April that will allow kanpachi amberjack to be imported duty-free once they grow to a specific size.

Maritime transportation fuel shortages have caused delays in importing juvenile kanpachi amberjack for aquaculture that were caught in Chinese waters. To address this issue, the limit on the maximum size for tariff-free imports will increase from 30 to 50 centimeters in total length.

U.S. helium to cover supply needs

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry announced Thursday it will increase alternative helium procurement from the United States, as imports from Qatar have been disrupted by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The ministry said there are no concerns over a stable supply, as U.S. products are expected to cover almost all of the total import volume. Applications for Helium include its use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.