Japan Says 'Carefully Analyzing Impact' from US Sanctions on Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko said Tuesday his country was "carefully analyzing the impact" of the US' intended sanctions against Iran, to ensure its energy supply, following a meeting with a US delegation in Tokyo last week.
"We are carefully analyzing the impact from the upcoming sanctions to make sure (they do) not have a bad impact on (Japan's) stable energy supply," Seko told a news conference in Tokyo, Platts reported.
"We will also continue our talks with relevant countries, including the US, on the impact on Japanese companies," he said.
While declining to disclose details of the discussions with the US delegation last week, Seko said, "Discussions between the governments as well as with relevant companies included the impact of sanctions."
A senior US delegation, comprising Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford, State Department and Treasury officials, briefed their Japanese counterparts last Tuesday in Tokyo about Washington's new Iran strategy and discussed the impact of the intended renewal of sanctions.
The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
A Japanese government source said Monday Japan is seeking an "early" exemption from the US on sanctions against Iran to facilitate oil shipping arrangements.
The source declined to comment on the outlook for securing the US sanctions waiver or if Washington had asked Japan to stop its Iranian oil imports.
Petroleum Association of Japan President Takashi Tsukioka said Friday Japanese importers of Iranian oil would need US sanctions waivers by November 4 to continue imports because the US aims to shut down Iranian exports.
US President Donald Trump said on May 8 the US would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions that have been frozen since January 2016 as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
International buyers of Iranian oil have until November 4 to wind down contracts before the US re-imposes sanctions on the oil, energy, shipping and insurance sectors, a US Treasury Department fact sheet said.
