TOKYO: Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp said on Wednesday it is delaying the restart of its 539,000 tonnes-per-year naphtha cracker at its Kashima plant for about two weeks from July 1 due to a problem with an important equipment.

The cracker, which has been shut since May 9, was slated to end the planned maintenance on June 30 and restart on July 1, the company said in a statement. The company is currently making detailed checks on the facilities, it added.