Japan food sector grapples with container shortage amid naphtha disruption

Companies forgo package printing, weigh suspending sales as costs rise

Products line the shelves at a supermarket in Tokyo. Some worry that the food-packaging industry will be further affected by the naphtha shortage from May onward. (Photo by Nanami Sato)

TOKYO -- War in the Middle East is directly hitting the business of food and beverage manufacturers in Japan, with a new survey showing that more than 40% of companies have felt the impact of the naphtha shortage.