Naphtha crunch bites Japanese companies despite PM’s assurances

Business trends

From bathtubs to plastic bottles, prices are rising and output is falling

Shortages of petroleum derivatives are pushing up prices for everything from bathtubs to laundry detergent to mouthwash in Japan. (Source photos by Toto/Kyodo and Hideki Yoshikawa) 

AKANE OKUTSU and YURIKA YONEDA

TOKYO — Concerns about a shortage of naphtha, a petroleum derivative that goes into a wide range of plastics and other products, is forcing Japanese manufacturers to raise prices and cut production despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s assurances that the country has four months’ supply.