Japan Welcomes Exemption from Iranian Oil Embargo

November 6, 2018

Tokyo--Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga welcomed on Tuesday the U.S. government's decision to allow Japan to continue to buy oil from Iran for the time being despite its reimposition of sanctions against the Middle Eastern country.

Japan had kept asking the United States not to negatively affect activities of Japanese companies, Suga told a press conference.

"We understand that (Washington) took into consideration our basic position in making the decision," he noted.

Japan is among eight countries that were granted the six-month waiver.

Suga expressed willingness to seek a continued preferential treatment by the U.S. government after the exemption period ends. Tokyo intends to "closely cooperate and keep exchanging opinions" with Washington, Suga said.

Trade minister Hiroshige Seko told a separate news conference that Japanese oil wholesalers, now refraining from importing oil from Iran, are expected to start preparations for resuming the imports in the wake of the U.S. decision. Jiji Press