[Weekend Quiz] It's not just gasoline! Daily necessities that will disappear if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked 🧴
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This is the "Zawa 4 Channel," bringing you daily insights and learning!
The weekend quiz is here again.
This time, we are bringing you a quiz based on selected topics from this week's articles, themed "The Looming Naphtha Shortage and Material Shock from a Strait of Hormuz Blockade."
The news is buzzing with "Crude oil prices break $100!" and "Gasoline prices soaring!," but that is not the only thing to be afraid of.
Detergents, disposable diapers, food packaging, automotive parts, agricultural materials—
the "roots of the materials" that support the foundation of our lives might stop. 😨
With that perspective in mind, here is this week's question.
Now, can you get the right answer?
🧠 Question
"Which of the following is incorrect regarding the Strait of Hormuz blockade and its impact on Japan?"
1️⃣ Japan's dependence on the Middle East for naphtha (a plastic raw material) reached approximately 74% as of 2024, and has actually risen since the sanctions on Russia.
2️⃣ The record-breaking 400 million barrel coordinated reserve release agreed upon by IEA member countries is equivalent to about two weeks of global oil consumption.
3️⃣ The average number of daily transits through the Strait of Hormuz has decreased by 94%, from about 95 ships in the same period last year to about 6 ships.
So, which one do you think is the correct answer?
Take a moment to think about it! ☕
💡 Hint
"400 million barrels sounds like a huge amount, but... how much oil does the world actually use in a day?"
One more thing.
"Having reserves = peace of mind" is not necessarily true.
What matters is not "how many days' worth you have," but "how many days until it stops arriving."
📝 Click here for the original article
👉 🚨 The "Naphtha Shortage X-Day" approaches with the Hormuz blockade—the day your detergent and diapers stop
☕ Weekend Trivia
Sharing a little bit of trivia related to the theme!
✅ The narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz is only about 33km wide. It's about the same width as the entrance to Tokyo Bay (Uraga Channel). Isn't it scary to think that 25% of the world's oil transport is concentrated here?
✅ The etymology of "naphtha" is actually the Persian word "naft" (oil). Ironically, we are losing access to a material derived from an Iranian word due to Iran's actions. Did you know that?
✅ Disposable diapers used every day. The "superabsorbent polymer" that absorbs moisture is also derived from petroleum. For parents, rising crude oil prices are a sign that diaper costs will be hit directly 👶💸
📖 Word explanations for this article
Naphtha
A light liquid obtained during the process of refining crude oil. It is different from gasoline and is the basic raw material that serves as the "starting point" for all petrochemical products, including plastics and synthetic fibers. Japan is heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East.
Ethylene
A basic chemical product made by decomposing (cracking) naphtha at high temperatures. It is the "original source" of almost all plastic products, such as polyethylene, PVC, and polystyrene. There are 12 ethylene plants in Japan, and their operations influence Japan's material supply.
Just-in-case
The antonym of "just-in-time" (procuring only the necessary amount when needed). A supply chain strategy that prioritizes security by securing inventory and alternative routes in advance in case of an emergency. With the Hormuz crisis as a trigger, the shift toward this way of thinking is accelerating globally.
🎉 Answer reveal!
The answer is...
2️⃣ 'The IEA coordinated release of 400 million barrels is equivalent to about 2 weeks of global oil consumption'!
Well, I bet a lot of people got tripped up by this one, didn't they? 😏
📚 Explanation
When you hear 400 million barrels, it sounds like a "huge amount," doesn't it?
But the world consumes about 100 million barrels per day of oil.
In other words, the largest coordinated reserve release in history of 400 million barrels only amounts to only about 4 days' worth.
It's not even two weeks' worth; it's less than a third of that. 💧
What this means is that reserve releases are merely "psychological reassurance" and "measures to buy time," and do not restore the physical flow.
What's even more troublesome is the reality that even if passage through the Strait of Hormuz were partially resumed, tankers cannot sail on a commercial basis unless insurance mechanisms and escort systems are restored. It doesn't mean things will go back to normal immediately just because there is a ceasefire.
And the impact of this crisis doesn't end with "gasoline prices."
As the flow of naphtha → ethylene → resin products gets clogged—
🧴 Detergent and shampoo bottles
🍱 Food packaging film
👶 Disposable diapers
🏥 Medical tubing
🚗 Automotive resin parts
🌱 Greenhouse vinyl and fertilizer bags
...these foundations of life and industry are shaken simultaneously.
Furthermore, in the agricultural sector, in addition to the shortage of heavy fuel oil A used to heat greenhouses, greenhouse covering materials and fertilizer bags are also derived from naphtha. Moreover, natural gas, which is a raw material for nitrogen fertilizer, also comes via the Middle East. In other words, the fact that the very foundation of our "food" is threatened is what makes this material shock truly terrifying.
By the way, the 74% dependence on Middle Eastern naphtha in option 1️⃣ is a correct figure. The jump of more than 20 points in just four years from 53% in 2020 is a "knock-on effect" caused by leaning on the Middle East due to sanctions on Russia.
The 94% decrease in the number of transiting vessels in option 3️⃣ is also a fact. A sharp drop from 95 vessels in the same period last year to 6—it's a shocking figure no matter how many times you see it.
The idea that "we're fine because we have stockpiles" is not fine at all once you know the accurate numbers 🔥
I hope this quiz helped you realize that.
Summary
So, this time I explained the "Strait of Hormuz blockade and material shock" in a fun quiz format!
To summarize what we learned today in one sentence—
The core of the Hormuz crisis is not the price of gasoline, but the fact that the "source of materials" stops.
Once you can see this, the way you view the news will change significantly.
Don't just follow crude oil prices; if you look at the "behind-the-scenes processes" like naphtha, ethylene, packaging materials, logistics, and inventory, the outline of the crisis becomes much clearer 💡
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If you have any requests for other topics you'd like to see in a quiz, please let me know in the comments section.
See you in the next weekend quiz! 👋
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