Japan’s Taiyo Oil Co., a local refiner, says Japan should continue relying heavily on Middle East crude because it remains cost-effective. The company’s comments come as Japan weighs changes to its crude sourcing strategy.

The refinery’s stance is directed at a government effort to diversify supply, which is linked to heightened uncertainty following the U.S.-Iran war. Bloomberg and the Japan Times both report that Taiyo Oil’s CEO argues against shifting away from Middle East barrels, framing diversification as less advantageous on cost grounds.

Across the two outlets, the core point is the same: Taiyo Oil supports maintaining current sourcing patterns for economic reasons, while Japan’s authorities pursue diversification in response to geopolitical risk. The reporting does not cite new figures or policy details, but it places the disagreement in the context of balancing price considerations against supply security concerns.