Source: NYT > Business
The Houthi blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is creating immediate, cascading disruptions in Japan's petrochemical supply chains—naphtha prices have spiked, forcing manufacturers of plastics, textiles, and consumer goods to either halt production or absorb margin-crushing costs. Retailers are already facing inventory constraints and price pressures as supply chains built for just-in-time efficiency collapse under real geopolitical stress. A single maritime chokepoint now translates directly into empty shelves and cost inflation across Asia's largest economies within weeks.