Planes, trains and automobiles: Kobe Steel’s tainted metal is everywhere
Tokyo — Kobe Steel’s CEO said on Thursday that the company’s data fabrication may have spread beyond Japan, as he was ordered by the government to report on how the misconduct occurred and address safety concerns that have sparked a scare along global supply chains. Hiroya Kawasaki told reporters the cheating scandal has left Kobe Steel’s credibility at "zero", underscoring the deepening crisis at the steel maker and the sweep of quality problems besetting Japan’s once-vaunted manufacturing sector. The scandal penetrated deeper into the most hallowed corners of Japanese industry, as iconic bullet trains were found with substandard parts supplied by the steel maker. While they do not pose any safety risks, aluminium components connecting wheels to train cars failed Japanese industry standards, according to Central Japan Railway Co, which operates the high-speed trains between Tokyo and Osaka. West Japan Railway Co, which runs services from Osaka to Fukuoka, also found substandard par...
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