Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Wednesday a tanker
carrying Mexican crude for Cosmo Oil, a unit of Cosmo Energy, is expected to
arrive as soon as Friday — the first Mexican crude to reach Japan since the
outbreak of war between the US/Israel and Iran in late February. The ship is due
at Cosmo's Yokkaichi refinery in central Japan before proceeding to the Chiba
refinery near Tokyo; it sailed from the Gulf of Mexico via the Cape of Good
Hope. METI said the shipment offers an alternative channel to Middle East
supplies; in April Prime Minister Takaichi and Mexico's president agreed to
deepen energy cooperation amid supply disruptions from the Iran conflict.
