Mexico to Export 1 Million Barrels of Crude Oil to Japan

Iran War Breaking News

(Central News Agency, Los Angeles, 23rd) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced at a press conference today that Mexico will export 1 million barrels of crude oil to Japan, although she did not disclose the specific timing of the export. Affected by the situation in the Middle East, the supply of some products made from naphtha is experiencing a tight situation in Japan.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Sheinbaum noted that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) had previously received a request from Japan, and she agreed to it during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the 20th of this month.

The two leaders discussed the Middle East situation during the call and agreed to cooperate in the energy sector. Sheinbaum stated at the post-meeting press conference, "Japan is facing a crude oil shortage and asked us to export as much crude oil as possible."

Sheinbaum added that Mexico's daily crude oil production is 1.8 million barrels, of which about 400,000 to 500,000 barrels are used for export.

Affected by the Middle East situation, some products made from naphtha, such as thinner sold at home improvement stores and medical rubber gloves used in dental clinics, have begun to run short, forcing related parties to respond to the issue.

A reporter from the Yomiuri Shimbun visited a home improvement store in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, on the 15th of this month and saw a notice on the thinner shelf informing consumers that "restocking time is currently undetermined." Thinner is an indispensable supply for painting operations.

The store owner stated, "Since about the end of March, the volume of incoming stock has dropped drastically, and it's so low that we feel lucky if we get anything at all." One of the store's main products is a 1.8-liter can of thinner; currently, incoming stock is only one-third of what it used to be, and purchases are now limited to one can per person.

The Japanese government stated that the domestic supply of naphtha and thinner is fundamentally sufficient, but there is a "blockage" in the distribution stage. Products made from naphtha also include medical rubber gloves.

The impact has also spread to medical frontlines. To control the use of rubber gloves, a dental clinic in Sakai City reduced the number of dental assistants attending to a single patient from two to one.

The clinic's director, Yoko Hata, who is also a board member of the Fukui Prefecture Dental Association, explained that major manufacturers selling rubber gloves have barely shipped any. "Dental clinics are relatively small and do not have a large inventory of gloves."

To alleviate concerns over supply shortages, the Japanese government plans to release its stockpile of medical gloves starting in May. (Translation: Yang Wei-ching) 1150424

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