TOKYO - The Japan Painting Contractors Association has requested the government to secure stable supplies of materials, warning that concerns over shortages of paint and thinner derived from naphtha have become increasingly severe.
According to a survey conducted among member companies, only 2.7% reported that they were able to obtain thinner—used for diluting paint and cleaning—under normal conditions, highlighting the extent of the disruption.
The association stated that the situation has reached a level that threatens the continuity of business operations, urging the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to take immediate steps to ensure stable material supplies.
Supply constraints in naphtha, a key petroleum-derived feedstock, are increasingly affecting the production of paint and thinner used across Japan’s construction and coating industries, highlighting the sector’s deep reliance on upstream petrochemical supply chains.
Naphtha is produced during the refining of crude oil and is widely used as a base material in the petrochemical industry, where it is broken down through high-temperature processes into fundamental chemicals such as ethylene, propylene, and aromatic compounds including benzene and toluene.
These substances form the backbone of paint manufacturing, serving as the building blocks for synthetic resins that create protective and decorative coatings, as well as solvents that regulate viscosity, drying time, and application performance, while thinners—used to dilute paint and clean equipment—are composed largely of the same solvent-based derivatives.
With both paint and thinner production dependent on these materials, fluctuations in naphtha supply or price can quickly translate into shortages and cost increases, placing pressure on manufacturers and disrupting supply to construction sites.
Industry observers note that the current situation underscores the vulnerability of the coatings sector to broader energy and petrochemical market instability, with sustained disruptions raising concerns over project delays and the continuity of operations across the construction industry.
Source: TBS
