Overview
- Calbee, which announced the move Tuesday, will temporarily print 14 items in two colors with the new bags rolling out from May 25 to keep products on shelves.
- The company cites unstable supplies tied to the Iran war, with a squeeze on naphtha, the oil-derived input used to make solvents and resins for industrial printing ink.
- Japan’s government says it has secured required volumes, with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato reporting no immediate ink or naphtha shortfall and a jump in non–Middle East imports in May.
- The supply strain stems from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since late February in hostilities involving the US, Israel and Iran, which normally carry about a fifth of global oil.
- Ripple effects are spreading across Japanese industry as Toto halts orders for some bathroom units, Panasonic warns of disruptions and higher prices, Mizkan suspends products, Itoham Yonekyu trims packaging colors, and Toyota flags a ¥670 billion profit hit.