Japan Establishes Task Force to Secure Medical Supplies Due to Middle East Situation
Summary
METI and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have established a joint Task Force to secure supplies of medical products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical supplies that may be affected by the situation in the Middle East. The Task Force held its first meeting at 11:30 a.m. on March 31, 2026, and will operate behind closed doors to encourage frank discussion. The Task Force aims to implement comprehensive approaches including analysis of challenges in ensuring stable supplies and discussion of possible responses to the situation.
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GovPing monitors Japan METI Sanctions News for new trade & sanctions regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 2 changes logged to date.
What changed
METI and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare jointly established the Task Force to Secure Supplies of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Medical Supplies vulnerable due to the Middle East situation. The Task Force held its inaugural meeting on March 31, 2026, and will hold subsequent meetings behind closed doors to encourage frank discussion.\n\nManufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical supplies operating in or supplying the Japanese market should monitor the Task Force's outputs for potential policy responses affecting supply chain stability. The closed-door format suggests sensitive discussions about sourcing vulnerabilities that may inform future procurement or manufacturing requirements.
Meeting
- Date
- 2026-03-31 at 11:30
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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4. March FY2026
5. Task Force to Secure Supplies of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Medical Supplies that are vulnerable due to the Situation in the Middle East
Task Force to Secure Supplies of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Medical Supplies that are vulnerable due to the Situation in the Middle East
Japanese March 31, 2026
Joint news release with the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Manufacturing, Information, and Distribution/Service Policy The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have established the Task Force to secure supplies of medical products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical supplies, which may be affected by the situation in the Middle East, which will hold its first meeting.
1. Purpose of the Task Force
METI and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have established the Task Force to secure supplies of medical products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical supplies, which have been affected by the current situation in the Middle East. The Task Force aims to implement comprehensive approaches including the analysis of challenges in ensuring stable supplies of medical products and the discussion of possible responses to the situation. The first meeting will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31.
2. Structure of the Task Force
The structure of the Task Force is as follows. As a general rule, the meetings will take place behind closed doors to encourage frank discussion.
| Chairs | Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare | |
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry |
| Acting Chairs | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Vice-Minister for Health and Chief Medical and Global Health Officer |
| Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry | Director-General for Evidence-based Policymaking | |
| Vice Chairs | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Senior Assistant Minister for Health Security and Technology |
| Assistant Minister for Pharmaceutical Industry Promotion and Healthcare DX |
| Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry | Director-General, Manufacturing Industries Bureau | |
| Director-General for Commerce and Service Industry Policy |
| Director-General, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy |
| Members | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Director, Health Science Division, Minister’s Secretariat |
| Director, Regional Medical Care Planning Division, Health Policy Bureau |
| Director, Policy Planning Division for Pharmaceutical Industry Promotion and Medical Information Management, Health Policy Bureau |
| Counselor (integrated policy integration charge) |
| Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry | Director, Budget and Accounts Division, Minister's Secretariat | |
| Director, Material Industries Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau |
| Director, Medical and Assistive Device Industries Office, Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau |
| Director, Policy Planning Division, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy |
Related Link（in Japanese）
Division in Charge
Medical and Assistive Device Industries Office, Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau
Related website
- Medical and Nursing Care, and Health
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