1. The distribution industry, including supermarkets and convenience stores, is now actively shipping relief goods to the stricken areas, and it has ample supply capability on the whole. However, since some food producing facilities located in the Tohoku region have been damaged and confusion has been seen in the distribution of food and daily commodities in some areas, METI is making its utmost efforts to improve supply capacity by supporting the restoration of food-producing facilities, as well as promoting procurement of such items from western areas of Japan, with the cooperation of food manufacturers and wholesalers.
2. However, recently, extreme purchases of food and daily merchandise has caused a temporary shortage of commodities at retailers mainly in metropolitan areas.
3. Normally, each company has enough supply capacity to meet the demand. Therefore, we would appreciate people’s cooperation to please refrain from purchasing non-urgent goods unnecessarily.

March 15, 2011

- Distribution and Logistics Policy Division, Commerce and Distribution Policy Group
- Industrial Structure Policy Division, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau