Japan imported 1.18 million mt of naphtha for ethylene production in February, down 12% from January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday.
Japan's naphtha import price in February averaged $380.80/mt, down from $438.20/mt in January, the METI said.
The country's naphtha imports have fallen as a result of the permanent closure of Asahi Kasei's steam cracker in Mizushima on February 15. The cracker was able to produce 470,000 mt/year of ethylene.
