The war in the Middle East and the resulting blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has increasingly visible effects on everyday life. In Japan, on supermarket shelves, it will no longer be just the increase in prices that catches the eye. The company Calbee announced that it will begin to have packaging for snacks in black and white.
The change, which will be implemented from May 25th on 14 of Calbee’s products, the largest manufacturer of snacks in Japan, is due to the interruption in the supply of raw materials used in the production of paint.
Em the company explains that this is a response to “instability in the supply of raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East”, which is “aimed at helping maintain a stable supply of products”.
Prices soared
Fuel prices have soared since the conflict began on February 28, with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The supply of naphtha, a byproduct of petroleum refining used in paints and plastics, has also been hit hard.
According to naphtha prices in Asia have almost doubled since the start of the conflict, increasing costs for companies in the region. Before the war, around 40% of Japan’s naphtha was imported from the Middle East.
