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Bullet Train Wheel Parts Made by Kobe Steel Failed Quality Tests

time2017/10/12

Bullet Train Wheel Parts Made by Kobe Steel Failed Quality Tests
Kobe Steel Ltd. parts used in Japan’s iconic bullet trains failed industry standards, officials said Thursday, bringing to light fresh evidence of wrongdoing by the steelmaker as investors speculated that the crisis could trigger a breakup of the 100-year-old company.
Central Japan Railway Co, which operates the high-speed trains between Tokyo and Osaka, said two types of aluminum parts used to connect cars to wheels fell short in quality tests, though they don’t pose any safety concerns. West Japan Railway Co, which runs services from Osaka to Fukuoka, also found sub-standard parts made by Kobe Steel, company spokesman Yudai Ochi told Bloomberg by phone.
The latest scandal to hit Japan’s storied manufacturing industry erupted on Sunday after the country’s third-largest steel producer admitted it faked data about the strength and durability of some aluminum and copper. As scores of its clients from Toyota Motor Corp. to General Motors Co. scrambled to determine if they used the suspect materials and whether safety was compromised, the company said two more products were affected and further cases could come to light. The company’s shares steadied after a two-day rout.
Figures were systematically fabricated at all four of Kobe Steel’s local aluminum plants, with the practice dating back as long as 10 years for some products, Executive Vice President Naoto Umehara said Sunday. The company said Wednesday that data was also faked for iron ore powder and target materials that are used in DVDs and LCD screens.
In Central Japan Railway’s bullet trains, 310 of the tested parts were found to be sub-standard and will be replaced at the next regular inspection, spokesman Haruhiko Tomikubo said . They were produced by Kobe Steel over the past five years, he said.
CEO Apology
Kobe Steel Chief Executive Officer Hiroya Kawasaki visited the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Thursday and told a senior official in charge that the company has set safety checks of its shipped products as a priority. “I deeply apologize for causing concern to many people, including all users and consumers,” Kawasaki said at the meeting.
While there has not been any reports that Kobe Steel products posed safety risks, the company is likely to face lawsuits from investors, customers, consumers and regulators in Japan and U.S., experts say. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kotaro Nogami on Wednesday said the faked data undermined the basis of fair trade, calling it “inappropriate”.
Shares in the company rebounded 1 percent Thursday, after plunging 36 percent over the previous two days. About $1.6 billion of the company’s market value has been wiped out since the revelations were made.
If lenders were to take over Kobe Steel, a break-up of the company along business lines would be beneficial for shareholders, according to Thanh Ha Pham, an analyst at Jefferies Japan Ltd., who has a “Buy” rating for the company.
“This is not going to be the end of Kobe Steel, it could be the end for management,” he said in a Bloomberg TV interview. “It could result in the break-up of the company.”