Reference News, March 18 report: According to the "Nikkei Newspaper", the summit between the leaders of Japan and the United States will be held in Washington on the 19th. The Japanese government plans to propose an intention to increase the import of crude oil from the United States (including Alaskan crude oil) at that time. Currently, 90% of Japan's crude oil supply depends on the Middle East. With the actual risk of blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, under the background of increasing concerns about crude oil supply, Japan hopes to promote the diversification of procurement sources.
In the meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Hayato and U.S. President Trump, economic security cooperation will be one of the topics. In 2025, crude oil imported from the United States accounted for 3.8% of Japan's total crude oil imports. Japan hopes to increase the purchase of crude oil from the United States to reduce its dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil. For the United States, which hopes to increase crude oil exports, this is also a favorable factor.
Japan is facing the risk of crude oil supply shortages. Since the outbreak of the conflict between the United States and Iran in early February, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed. Because oil tankers departing from the Middle East take about 20 days to reach Japan, it is expected that the import volume of Middle Eastern crude oil will decrease significantly around March 20th. (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)
Original text: toutiao.com/article/7618420026256654874/
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