Business Week

Wednesday, March 30

Fears grow as Japan parts supply, power is missing

2:42 AM Fears, Japan, missing, parts, power, supply No Comments

MADRID/PARIS - from Apple Inc.'s new iPad, Chevrolet the global manufacturing supply chain and the impact of the earthquake pick-ups, concern is spreading down in Japan's last week.

Plant turnarounds of Japan after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis threaten supplies of everything from semiconductors, auto parts for manufacturers around the world.

Even where operate factories in Japan, power outages, shortage of fuel and raw materials and ruptured logistics mean that products and parts face get delays to customers.

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Honda Motor Co, said on Friday, it had expanded halt production in Japan, where it's more than one-fifth of the cars for another three days to next Wednesday.

And in a sign that European manufacturers are also starting feel the squeeze, automaker Renault and Opel warned, she would have to reduce production.

Opel, the European arm of General Motors, a 24-hour production stop for next Monday called and an eight-hour stop Spain, due to the lack of an electronic item, which had come not from Japan next Friday at the plant in Zaragoza. Trade unions say that about 2,400 cars will not be during the suspension.

Renault said it would output at the plant in Busan, South Korea, 15 to 20 percent after interruptions in Japanese provides that concern mainly the Renault owned Samsung SM7. The factory produces usually 20 000 vehicles per month.

A Renault spokesman said "Production per cent, according to 3000 of less cars, should be around 15 to 20". "We hope that a solution be found quickly."

Japan's grip on the global electronics supply chain caused concern. The world's third largest economy exported 7.2 trillion yen ($ 91.3 billion) worth of electronic parts in the last year according to Mirae asset securities.

"Should the crisis Japan be extended, I expect a lack of electronic parts in the second quarter," James song said analyst at Daewoo securities, realizing Japan provides 57% of the worldwide wafer, used in mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices to the chips.

Apple can IOS bottlenecks of the key parts for his newly released 2, according to research firm IHS iSuppli face.

Some parts of the new version of the popular iPad Tablet PC be music and video on the device from Japan, including the battery and flash memory to store used.

Toshiba Corp., one of the companies that the NAND flash memory in the iPad 2, IHS used iSuppli's research produced just close a flash memory device in Japan and warned that there could be difficulties getting raw materials.

Memory chip industry Tracker DRAMeXchange said that there was a panic increase in NAND flash spot prices and a 5 to 15 percent increase in the contract had seen average sales price. It said the earthquake expected worldwide NAND flash to reduce supply by up to 4 percent in the second quarter of the amount of available memory.

Goldman Sachs warned potential bottlenecks in the delivery of silicon wafers, conductive film in LCD circuits used and resin for connecting chips with Boards--products of Japanese companies such as Shin-ETSU and divisions of Sony, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi.

In France, the head of a small electronics firm, which aims, with Apple Tablet market compete by cheap devices for emerging markets, warned against a domino effect on China.

"We have can be some of our Chinese partners in the country exposed to direct suppliers in Japan but," said ARCHOS Chief Executive Henri Crohas.

Japan's top automakers such as Toyota Motor Co., and Nissan Motor Co fighting issue in the midst of a shortage of parts, work, and makes to restart.

GM said it temporarily a pickup truck plant in Louisiana, would idle, where it builds models, due to parts of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

"As all global automakers, we are the events in Japan still closely to determine which lead the effects," GM said in a statement on Thursday.

North American Edition is likely be affected, unless again their plants revive and send parts for 10 days, Wolfe racial & co analyst Tim Denoyer said Japanese suppliers in a note.

Japanese company Jamco which makes galleys for the long-awaited Boeing 787 Dreamliner, said face could it delays due to the tight gasoline supply.

Airline industry body IATA said Japan produced 3 to 4 percent of the global jet fuel supply and part of this capacity was warned lost. "This restriction to supply could lead higher jet fuel prices," he said.

Lufthansa Cargo, moving, electronics, liquid crystals for flat-screen displays and Pharma from Japan, said that it be forced perhaps some cancel flights next week.

"The booking situation from Germany is good and Japan, it is always still pretty well," said a spokesman. "But it is slowly getting that production in Japan is."

Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's largest insulin manufacturer, has suffered disturbance in the Koriyama plant, where only 10 percent of the normal 100-member staff still on site. Novo said it continues to insulin of Koriyama send and distribution centers were well equipped.

GlaxoSmithKline said its drug factory in Imaichi smaller losses suffered had and was expecting that it soon resume action, but the company. In the same area, the situation at a plant in Utsunomiya was Switzerland Roche evaluation, which had suspended production and would examine problems of supply chain. It said that was not affected by serious damage.

Yen rise in reduced to G7 support for Japan

6:48 PM Japan, reduced, support No Comments

NEW YORK yen against the dollar tumbled Friday after the Group of seven Nations postponed to weaken the Japanese currency. But the safe-haven dollar dropped intervention and a ceasefire in Libya against most other currencies Friday after the coordinated currency.

The dollar, Yen and Swiss franc tend to in times of geopolitical stress and other tensions, to strengthen the desire for secure investment sparks. Emerging market currencies and currencies in regions where interest rates are higher, as the euro, will receive often when investors at risk to take.

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In New York, the dollar rose late Thursday to 81.05 Yen by 79.05 Yen Friday. The yen strengthened a bit in New York after weaknesses to 81.99 per dollar in trading overnight. The euro rose from $1.4007, $1.4131.

Taken before the earthquake in Japan, bought a $83.02 yen. The dollar had weakened on Wednesday, the highest point of the yen since World War II to as little as 76.32 yen. Investors have the Japanese bets end their overseas and bring money home, partly to Japan's reconstruction fund would.

But the currency rise threatens to deepen the economic hit to Japan's economy. A stronger yen hurts profits the exporters of the country.

The G-7 deal, the yen, announced late Thursday, and weaknesses to help Japan's economy.

"Stabilization of the yen should work consider world economic growth, moderate" wrote Credit Suisse analysts in a research note Friday. The move seemed investors calm and they perceived bets on currencies as risky.

The prospect of a ceasefire in Libya, a major oil exporter, helped quiet markets. Libya declares a cease-fire with rebels Friday after the threat by intervention from abroad. The United Nations authorized a no-fly zone late on Thursday and said, "all necessary measures" including air strikes, forces loyal to Moammar nepotism prevent it striking against the insurgents would take Libyans.

The clash in Libya had helped drive up oil prices up to 27 percent in the last few weeks. On Friday, shares fell rose on Wall Street and oil prices. The Dow Jones industrial average was 1 percent, while crude oil around $101 per barrel traded.

Story: Q + A: why of Japan's Yen rises against the dollar?

The British Pound rose to $1.6162 from $1.6136, while the dollar on 98.41 Canadian cents of 98.71 Canadian cents fell. He was low also against most other currencies including the Brazilian real and Mexican Peso, who won South Korea, the Scandinavian currencies and the Australian dollar.

The US currency gained 0.9002 Swiss francs to 0.9041 Swiss francs. The Swiss franc is also a safe haven, and the dollar its latest record low for the currency on Wednesday at 0.8922 Swiss francs.

Japan quake cleanup could swamp with debt

5:16 AM cleanup, could, Japan, Quake, swamp No Comments

It at the beginning of reconstruction of the worst natural disaster in the history of Japan's economy is a greater threat than the destruction of a relatively small portion of its industrial production: debt.

To pay for the reconstruction, billions of dollars in fresh borrowing of a debt, the Japanese Government must pile, which already is one of the largest in the world.

Last week devastating 9.0 earthquake and the resulting 30-foot tsunami only was to latest blow to an economy that has fought, again on its feet two decades after the collapse of a large financial bubble.

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"Japan have a terrible set of problems, which it now were fighting for more than 20 years has", said Steven Roach, non - Executive Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia. "she have to rebuild the financial system." And they have the most powerful demographic headwinds of each economy in the world: their population is not only aging, it goes back. "

These two "lost decades" four recessions and links with growth virtually flat lining, growing GDP, on average, less than 1 percent per year. Long before the earthquake struck, the Japanese economy had expected forecasters continue to customer in the next few quarters.

Story: Decisions company wrestling with evacuation

Japanese Government to try to revive growth, issues were strong, but with little lasting impact, except to build a mountain of loans which are repaid. At approximately double its annual GDP has Japan of one of the world's highest public debt, second only to the Zimbabwe, according to the CIA factbook. On the other hand, is the United States to place 36, with a public debt of around 60 percent of GDP.

Now that it is a big relief for you and reconstruction efforts, Japan more to cover the costs, emissions must the provisional estimates place about 200 billion dollars. The risk is that how it on more debt piles, the Japanese Government to higher interest rates to investors continue to demand for these new bonds pay.

"Printing they all this money to out of this mess and eventually interest with all will increase this pressure", said Lawrence McDonald, President of McDonald's Advisory Group, an investment firm management. "A single % increase in interest rates is equivalent to 25 per cent which is their tax revenues."

Higher also makes it more expensive for businesses and consumers to borrow, it a damper on spending and investment and create a further headwind for the Japanese economy.

It is unclear how much money of the Government will have to borrow. The reconstruction to cover costs is expected to only a relatively small part of private insurance. This is because Japan has a comprehensive, Government-backed earthquake insurance program, which covers some individual owners and backstops insurance companies of large losses. First estimates put total losses covered by private insurance companies to not more than $35 billion, or about 6 percent from the estimate of overall loss.

This means that some of the cut the cost of reconstruction out of the Pocket, back in profits and consumer spending have to pay are companies and consumers.

Japan's economy takes a hit from the industrial production of damage Quake to factories closed. There were imminent for parts and components, especially for the electronics and auto isolated reports of shortages.

But Japan is a large diversified economy and the disaster area is a relatively small portion of the country's GDP. Economists also note that the devastating loss of any major natural disaster, especially in a developed country such as Japan, usually heavy expenditure and investment in the reconstruction, all follows that helps to promote growth.

"I not attempts to say, there are no problems," said Steven Wieting, Citigroup Director of the economic and market analysis. "But also radiological disaster, Chernobyl, three mile Iceland, what happened with the deepwater horizon in the last year, it is a lot of emotion and concern." "But none of the events, including the earthquake in Kobe, all these natural disasters not long-term, lasting economic impact."

As for the global economy, despite isolated parts lack of Japanese suppliers the Japan earthquake is "Not likely to global trade be significant" and the impact on the Japanese economy will likely "be, localized" according to FedEx CEO fed Smith.

"" You put this way: If we unfortunately one terrific tragedy in Arizona "or saying"Oregon art on the periphery of the country had, it would be terrible,".""But the rest of the United States in all probability would continue operation."

Yen rises
The value of the yen is a potentially larger problem of the recent increase in Japan. The quake induced surge is the result of the various forces, according to currency market observers. Japanese insurance companies and other companies and investors are believed, have sold other currencies loud, cash back home to increase on foreign assets. The scramble to buy Yen has forced its value.

Forex traders have increased movement, by you betting on the rise. That a coordinated effort, the first since the year prompted the central banks of the seven largest industrial countries Thursday, 2000, to agree to hold to the value of the yen in check.

A rising Yen could be with a larger problem than what the Japanese Government may be relatively small damage to its industrial base. Verteuert pay a higher Yen Japan products for everyone in the rest of the world for them with a different currency. That makes Japan's exports less competitive in the global market and offers international companies one more reason to look for other suppliers.

The latest round of government borrowing presents a conundrum for Japan's central bankers, who have fought for years to keep economy with a policy (also more recently by the US Federal Reserve) called "quantitative easing." low interest rates the policy to by dramatically expand the money supply, Keeping interest rates low to stimulate borrowing and revive growth.

It did not work in Japan. Now, as the Japanese Government market with new debt floods, the Central Bank must continue to purchase the bonds if private investors on the plate and help finance of the country's reconstruction efforts intensify not.

Japan's malaise could be eerily familiar in some US officials. The Fed is in his second over, about $600 billion buy bond in June, a response to the collapse of the much younger American financial bubble. As now with its large debt burden Japan, could learn U.S. policy makers from Japan's experience, according to Roach, much.

"Twenty years later, the post-bubble experience the Japan all must give US pause to think, above all those of us in the United States, who believe that it could never happen us", he said. "These are very devastating events and there are lessons in Japan, I think, many of us have not learn."

This IPO will be for the birds... Angry birds

10:34 PM Angry, Birds No Comments

NEW YORK Rovio, the developer of the angry birds mobile game, said that it would try an initial public offering in the United States.

"The plan is, find an IPO in New York, but the specific timing and details are still open,", said spokesman Ville Heijari Rovio in an e-Mail Friday.

On 10 March, told Finland-based Rovio $42 million from investors and named Skype co-founders Niklas Zennstrom caused to his Board.

Angry birds help players to destroy birds to pigs who stole their eggs, with the help of a Sling. Rovio said 40 million monthly active users playing the game.

The original angry birds game Chillingo, appeared a mobile game company, which was acquired by electronic arts in October for more than 20 million dollars in bar and other unnamed considerations.

Mobile and social games are the fastest growing segments of the video game industry. Company Gartner Research expects global revenues from mobile gaming, segment, 19 percent to more than $5.6 billion contains the games for smartphones, to rise this year, while it grow to $11.4 billion in the year 2014 is forecast.

Rovio's-Chairman, said first about the plans in an interview with Talouselama, a business magazine in Finland.

Take wrestling with evacuation decisions

6:57 AM decisions, evacuation, wrestling No Comments

How workers encrypted, to stabilize Japan's Friday crippled nuclear power station Fukushima Dai-Ichi, fight makes companies to cope with and fuel shortages, hard decisions about whether operations more secure locations and fear among their workers to evacuate.

"The majority of people, that we in Japan to speak only fear", said Ames gross, President of the Pacific Bridge, an executive search and human resources consulting companies in Asia.

These fears were reinforced by conflicting reports about the dangers of radiation leaks from earthquake-stricken reactors in the Easternprefecture of Miyagi. The United States began evacuating family members and dependents of government officials within a 50-mile radius of the plant, a larger area, the Japanese officials have created.

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"Beyond this 50-mile radius, risks you call for the evacuation," President Barack Obama said Thursday. "But we have a responsibility, take prudent and preventive measures to train the Americans, who may be at risk due to radiation when the situation is made worse."

Story: Nuclear power plant cooling systems restart your Japan race

Also evacuated Government employees have other countries - including Australia and Germany - the UK and some international companies have their employees further away from the system of the country.

More than 3,000 Chinese were from Japan's northeast in Niigata, on Japan's West Coast, according to Xinhua News Agency evacuated.

Beyond the 50-mile radius to evacuate more precise information on the risks posed by the plant, the decision was marred by the difficulty, said Nick Allan, Asia Pacific Director of control risks, a global risk Advisor.

"There are many sensational information are and sensational projections," Allan said. "But really know the risks, which are I think the challenge is many companies face."

International companies consider a complete evacuation with the sensitive issue were whether you offer same option rings for their Japanese employees as Allan.

"Evacuate all?" Because this means that you should include your Japanese employees might, if "he said this danger." "And have a lot of Japanese families." "There are so real consequences of these decisions, the company must."

German technology companies SAP and Infineon under the move staff for security in the South of the country, along with the car manufacturers were BMW and Volkswagen.

Cisco systems, headquartered in San Jose, California, temporary closed locations in Shinjuku, Tokyo and Sendai. Their employees are in the position, many of them work from home. IBM, based in Armonk, n.y., said its operations were not disrupted, and had no reports of serious injuries to its employees in Japan.

Story: Quake shows weak link in global supply chains

Chicago-based Boeing, with more than 200 employees in Japan, temporarily postponed business trips in the area but had no plans to evacuate your personnel.

Swedish furniture offered giant IKEA, Japanese employees leave Tokyo and surrounding areas and the relocation of further South, to help according to Australia's Herald Sun newspaper. IKEA employs approximately 2,000 people in Japan, and a company official said it had offered to help move some 1,200 employees and their families in the Kansai region South of Tokyo.

Around 650,000 foreign workers were of more than 100,000 companies in Japan, as of Oct. 31, according to the nation used the health, labour and Social Affairs Ministry. About40 percent or 260,000 are factory workers. Chinese workers make 290,000; 120,000 are Brazilians and Filipinos are 62,000.

In Tokyo, about 140miles South of the concerned nuclear complex, Japanese officials said radiation levels were slightly elevated - but not high enough to a threat to the 39 million people in and around the capital. These assurances were not enough to prevent company employees further from the plant.

Those who remained in the capital reported that the city, but had closed.

"People are not going to work, there are very few people on the streets and most companies have closed their offices this week," said gross. "People are for the most part from home from work." "But if you have a Widget, you can it from home."

Manufacturer in the Northeast were the strongest of the 9.0 Quake and resulting 30-foot tsunami affected. The extent of the damage and cost of reconstruction is as above shall be assessed. For these plants for weeks, none is spared serious damage full production expected to be or can be recovered months

"The greatest impact, we see only due to the power outages, the production of all sorts of things will have," said Craig Berger, the FBR capital markets. "These rolling blackouts it difficult back to typical production reach make."

Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant produces about one-fifth of Japan's nuclear power, an important source of electricity for the island nation. Make up for this deficit with hot-spare production capacity by one been hampered national grid, which is two-fold, and works with various standards in the North and South

"The reserve capacity of the grid in Japan not so high", said Cornelia Meyer, an energy consultant and CEO of MRL Corp. "so if you take offline the adaptation of the grid of a plant is not an easy thing."

While many companies reported normal package deliveries, bottlenecks which of several bottlenecks in the fuel pipeline was some local shipping of petrol and diesel. Although crude oil supplies are suitable, were six refineries by the quake, tap shut down from about 30 percent of the domestic production of petrol and diesel fuels.

Fuel supplies have further crimped was by damaged roads and pipelines, which have blocked distribution of petrol stations and companies. Widespread hoarding added to scarcity; the Government called on consumers "Stop panic buy", free up desperate fuel for operations required.

Food shortages were grown up on fears of contamination of the products in the area of Fukushima also cut Dai-Ichi-plan.

"It is a large agricultural area, so Meyer", which is where I the influence a lot of rice and vegetables see - as internally, the Japan created - you must now add fuel to food price inflation import. "

CNBC, AP and Reuters have been

Litany of failures in Japan nuclear industry

9:07 AM failures, industry, Japan, Litany, nuclear No Comments

TOKYO - behind Japan's escalating nuclear crisis sits a scandal-ridden energy industry in a comfy relationship with government regulators often willing to overlook safety lapses.

Leaks of radioactive steam and workers contaminated with radiation are just part of the disturbing catalog of accidents that have occurred over the years and been belatedly reported to the public, if at all.

In one case, workers hand-mixed uranium in stainless steel buckets, instead of processing by machines, so the fuel could be reused, exposing hundreds of workers to radiation. Two later died.

"Everything is a secret," said Kei Sugaoka, a former nuclear power plant engineer in Japan who now lives in California. "There's not enough transparency in the industry."

Sugaoka worked at the same utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant where workers are racing to prevent a full meltdown following Friday's 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami.

In 1989 Sugaoka received an order that horrified him: edit out footage showing cracks in steam pipes in video being submitted to regulators is planning. Sugaoka alerted his superiors in the Tokyo Electric Power Co., but nothing happened - for years. He decided to go public in 2000. Three Tepco executives lost their jobs.

The legacy of scandals and cover-ups over Japan's half-century reliance on nuclear power has strained its credibility with the public. Mistrust has been renewed this past week with the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant that. No. evidence has emerged of officials hiding information in this catastrophe. But the vagueness and scarcity of details offered by the government and Tepco - and news that seems to grow worse each day - are fueling public anger and employment frustration.

Story: A crisis in confidence at world's atomic watchdog

"We don't know what is true." "That makes US worried," said Taku Harada, chief executive of the Tokyo-based Internet startup Orinoco. Harada said his many American friends are being urged to leave the capital while the Japanese government says the area is safe, probably to avoid triggering panic.

The difference is unsettling, he said. He has rented an office in Osaka 250 miles (400 kilometers) to the southwest to give his 12 employees the option of leaving Tokyo.

"We still do not know the long-term effects of radiation," he said. "That's a big question."

Tokyo Electric Power Co. official Takeshi Makigami says experts are doing their utmost to get the reactors under control.

"We are doing all that is possible," he told reporters.

Worried that over dependence on imported oil could undermine Japan's humming economy, the government threw its support into nuclear power, and the industry boomed in the profile and influence. The country has 54 nuclear plants, which provide 30 percent of the nation's energy needs, is building two more and studying proposals for 12 more plants.

Before Friday's earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima crisis and sent the economy reeling, Japan's 11 utility companies, many of them nuclear plant operators, were worth $139 billion on the stock market.

Tepco - the utility that supplies power for Japan's capital and biggest city - accounted for nearly a third of that market capitalization, though its shares have been Europe since the disasters, falling 65 percent over the past week to 759 yen ($9.6) Thursday. Last month, it got a boost from the government, which renewed authorization for Tepco to operate Fukushima's 40-year-old unit 1 reactor for another 10 years.

With such strong government support and a culture that ordinarily frowns upon dissent, regulators tend not to push for rigorous safety, said Amory Lovins, an expert on energy policy and founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

"You add all that up and it's a recipe for people to cut corners in operation and regulation," Lovins said.

Story: Donations to Japan start at slow pace

The United States, Japan's close ally, has also raised questions about the coziness between Japanese regulators and industry and implicitly questioned Tokyo's forthrightness over the Fukushima crisis. The director of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. ambassador this week issued a bleaker assessments about the dangers at the plans than the Japanese government or Tepco.

Competence and transparency issues aside, some say it's just too dangerous to build nuclear plants in Japan like in earthquake-prone nation, where land can liquefy during a major temblor.

"You're building on a heap of tofu," said Philip white of Tokyo-based citizens' nuclear information center, a group of scientists and activists who have opposed nuclear power since 1975.

"There is absolutely no reason to trust them," he said of those that run Japan's nuclear power plants.

Japan is haunted by memories of past nuclear accidents:

In 1999, fuel-reprocessing workers were reported to be using stainless steel buckets to hand-mix uranium in flagrant violation of safety standards at the Tokaimura plant. Two workers later died in what was the deadliest accident in the Japanese industry's history.At least 37 workers were exposed to low doses of radiation at a 1997 fire and explosion at a nuclear reprocessing plant operated in Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo. The operator, Donen, later acknowledged it had initially suppressed information about the fire.Hundreds of people were exposed to radiation and thousands evacuated in the more serious 1999 Tokaimura accident involving JCO co. The government assigned the accident a level 4 rating on the international nuclear event scale ranging from 1 to 7, with 7 being most serious.In 2007, a powerful earthquake ripped into Japan's northwest coast, killing at least eight people and causing malfunctions at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant, including radioactive water ex, burst pipes and fires. Radiation did not leak from the facility.

Tepco has safety violations that stretch back decades. In 1978, control rods at one Fukushima reactor dislodged but the accident was not reported because utilities were not required to notify the government of such accidents. In 2006, is Tepco reported a planning negligible amount of radioactive steam seeped from the Fukushima - and blew beyond the compound.

Now with the public on edge over safety, Tatsumi Tanaka, head of risk hedge and a crisis management expert, believes the government would find it difficult to approve new plants in the immediate future.

Tanaka says that, true to Japan's wipe nuclear power record, officials bungled the latest crisis, failing to set up a special crisis team and appoint credible outside experts.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., regulators and the government spokesman have been holding nationally televised news conferences, sometimes several a day, on the latest developments at planning the Fukushima.

But the reactors have been volatile, changing by the hour, with multiple explosions, fires and leaks of radiation. The utility, regulators and government spokesmen often send conflicting information, adding to the confusion and the perception they aren't being forthright, says Tanaka.

"They are only making people's fears worse," he said. "The onset what are the possible scenarios that might happen they need to study at in about five stages and then figure out what the response should be."

A crisis in confidence in atomic watchdog

10:44 AM atomic, confidence, crisis, watchdog No Comments

BEIJING - eighteen months before Japan's radiation crisis, had U.S. diplomats lambasted the Security Chief of the world's atomic watchdog for incompetence, especially when it comes to the nuclear power industry in his homeland, Japan.

Cable sent by the US Embassy in Vienna, Washington, that WikiLeaks obtained by, from Reuters, singled out Tomihiro Taniguchi up to last year, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety checks were.

"The last 10 years the Division suffered Taniguchi has management and leadership skills, enormously because of the (Deputy Director-General) weak" a dispatch said on Dec 1, 2009.

"Taniguchi was a weak Manager and lawyer, in particular in terms of confrontation with Japan's own security practices, and he is a certain disappointment in the United States for his unloved child treatment of the Office of nuclear security," said another, on July 7. wurde2009 sent.

Not comment on the IAEA of the content of the leaked cable.

The evidence of the concern of the national Japanese was encrypted as his country, to fend off a deadly spread of radiation from earthquakes damaged nuclear reactors, North of Tokyo.

Story: U.S. Americans Japan leave help

Japan's crisis brought control of their nuclear authorities and above all, has a history of falsification of data at the sites the operator of the affected reactors.

Separate cable quoted a Japanese legislator as telling visiting US officials in October 2008, that makes companies nuclear security issues and a single ticket on commitments to renewable energy is given by the Government were hidden in Japan.

Taro Kono, a supporter of renewable energy in 2009 offer unsuccessfully for leadership of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also Japan said, had no solution for the storage of nuclear waste and asked whether all installed, waste store it in view of the fact, that Japan was the "land of the volcanoes".

Kono was not immediately to comment available.

The operator of the facility of Fukushima Dai-Ichi, now in the midst of the crisis, the co that Tokyo electric power (TEPCO), had a rocky past in an industry with scandal.

Five TEPCO executives fake a nuclear power plant was in the year 2002 concerning suspected safety records and five reactors were forced to stop operations.

In 2006, the Government of TEPCO ordered data past water temperatures in the Fukushima Dai-Ichi review, after it reported fake coolant in 1985 and 1988 to find and, the mandatory inspections in the plant used the tweaked data, which were completed in October 2005.

Old rules, old reactors
The risk of earthquakes and tsunamis massive earthquake was known even before last Friday, but many of the Japanese nuclear power plants, including the now crippled complex, built Fukushima from the most modern safety standards.

An unnamed IAEA official said the G8 nuclear safety and the security group in December 2008 that guidelines for seismic safety reviewed only three times in the past and had 35 years and that the IAEA was them, review showed a different WikiLeak cable.

", The moderator pointed out recent earthquakes in some cases have the design basis for some nuclear power plants, and that this is now seismic safety work, drive a serious problem, exceeded", the cable said.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said on Wednesday before leaving for Japan, which continuously the safety of nuclear power plants against earthquakes had tried to improve the Agency.

A draft IAEA on safety standards, published in October 2009, recommended, nuclear power plants more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the coast sea or the sea, or more than 1 km from one removes Lake or fjord coastline; or at an altitude of more than 50 meters (164 feet) from the mean water level.

"I know all the nuclear power plants in Japan very close to the ocean,", said Daniel Aldrich, author of "fight site", a book such as decisions to build nuclear power plants in Japan and elsewhere on cool were.

"(Dies_ist_aus_zwei_Gruenden:_1) usually cooling pipes in sea water by the reactor unit wear and cool it down, and then dump the warmer water back into the Ocean (these pipes these areas not normally work at this point)(,_and_2) are remoteweit by high population density areas", and they have the least resistance of the civil society, "he said in email comments."

The latest IAEA recommendations are far stricter than the original standards for Japanese plants set. The six reactors in the Dai-Ichi course were given date back from 1971 to 1979, while two other Japanese nuclear reactors in order until 1970.

"An anomalous magnitude 9.0 scale far beyond the accepted security standard power station began as Fukushima Daiichi nuclear forty years ago,", said Yu Shibutani, Director of energy geopolitics Ltd Japan, in an e-Mail to Reuters.

"The tsunami walls, which should be integrated later, or should the generators were situated on higher ground, to withstand possible flooding, but it failed."

"The accident makes shortcomings in risk assessment, as well as in engineering, and not the plant safety standards in Quake and tsunami meet wall."

Cost for Japan Quake seen up to $200 billion

11:58 AM billion, Japan, Quake No Comments

TOKYO - Japan's devastating earthquake and deepening nuclear crisis could lead to losses of up to $200 billion for the third-largest economy in the world, however, the global impact remains difficult to assess smash five days after a massive tsunami in the North-East Coast.

As Japanese officials, encrypted to 240 km (150 miles) North of the capital Tokyo avert a catastrophic meltdown of a nuclear power plant, assessment of the damage to buildings, production and consumer activity moved economists.

The disaster is expected, to Japanese Edition strongly in the coming months beat, but economists warned that it could lead to a deeper slowdown, if makes deficiency prove significant and persistent, delay, or even the "V shaped" recovery, that the earthquake of Kobe 1995 followed scotching.

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Most believe that the direct economic results between 10-16 trillion yen ($ 5.125$ 200 billion), which is total to a decline in gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, but a sharp rebound in the second half of 2011 as reconstruction investment growth increases.

"The economic costs of the disaster will be great," said economists at JP Morgan. "There are significant loss to economic resources and economic activity damage (such as power outages) will be hampered by infrastructure in the weeks or months."

Their suffered Japanese shares worst two-day rout since the crash in 1987 on Monday and Tuesday, a whopping $ 626 billion lose value before 5.7 percent recovered fell on Wednesday as hedge funds to cover short positions.

But traders remained shy, influenced by each of the new development of the affected Fukushima and warning sign was substantial foreign assets to sell and funds to cover the costs of the nuclear crisis Japanese companies and insurers, Quake and tsunami to repatriate.

High-yield bonds and U.S. treasuries of health care jobs top the list of endangered assets the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear breakdown prompt Japanese investors to overseas funds should say back home, analysts.

Although the damage to the infrastructure is more difficult, some of the biggest risks for the economy can dating indirect market effects of the disaster, such as a rise in the yen.

The yen Fund rose to an all-time high against the dollar after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 during Japanese companies home drawn. The dollar has 3 percent against the yen since the disaster and is now close to the low pressures you to Kobe.

The direction of the yen would have a major impact on Japanese automakers such as Toyota Motor Co., Nissan Motor and Honda Motor, that between 22 and 38 percent of their cars at home build.

HSBC Chief Economist Stephen King said it was too early, put numbers on the economic cost, since the scale of the disaster was not yet clear.

Area of the Japan produces about 4.1% of GDP of the country affected by the tsunami, he said suggesting that first round economic impact could be limited. But the fate of the Fukushima nuclear reactors Japan can have not felt still unclear, the full force of the disaster still.

"At this time, it is too early to come up with reasonable estimates of the overall impact of the terrible events in Japan," wrote note King in a research.

He noted "knee-jerk economic and reactions to shocks and disasters often wide of the mark fall," on faulty predictions a US recession following the attacks of September 11, 2001 and a hit from the Asian tsunami in 2004.

The disaster is already by the global production chain, technology companies as output particularly hard meets Japan accounts for one-fifth of the worldwide semiconductor disturbed.

However, the Fed made no mention of Japan in a statement given the high degree of uncertainty about the global economic impact of the disaster, after its policy meeting on Tuesday.

Story: quake insurance industry well shielded from Japan

The European Central Bank, which earlier this month that it could hike prices in April, also appears warned, in wait-and-see mode as financial markets reduce their expectations for the tightening of monetary policy this year.

Fitch Ratings said that it justifies currently view action, the economic effects as sufficiently serious negative rating on Japan's well diversified economy and sovereign finance show flexibility.

The size of its $5.3 trillion is debt of Japan's economy, the highest proportion of all major developed countries in the world twice. But in contrast to other highly owed countries as Greece, only five percent debt is held of Japan by the foreign investors, so the risks of a financial crisis are limited.

Still, said in a sign that the European Heads of State and Government nervous may it a meeting of G7 Finance Ministers and central bankers to deal with the crisis, had called on their dissemination to Japan debt crisis after the disaster, France, where possible purchases of Japanese debt.

Credit rating agency of Moody's warned earlier this week, that she quake, tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis increased confidence in Japan's finances to lose the chance of investors and eventually calls for higher rates on government bonds.

Now the Government is using 200 billion yen in the emergency reserves to pay for anti-crisis efforts. The fast-developing disaster has prevented that Government officials from working on an emergency could be budget in the range of 5-10 trillion yen.

Some ruling party legislators have to pay a special tax proposed for disaster relief, but Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda allies said that he is considering not tax increases.

In a bid, reassure investors who not uncontrolled spin be fiscal conditions, Japan has limited sales at 44 trillion yen in the last years new bond, but this ceiling should now be scrapped.

"Basically, the Government must cap, scrap the 44 trillion yen", said Seiji Adachi, an economist at Deutsche securities in Tokyo. "It is an emergency necessary budget as soon as possible, at least in the next one to two months to compile."

Large fund injections of the Bank of Japan keep as far as borrowing costs low and there are no signs of strains in Japan's financial system.

Sources said Reuters, which probably was last purchases the Central Bank, which makes it easy monetary policy by a doubling of funds for asset to 10 trillion yen on Monday, further steps as soon as next month.

Donations to Japan start at slow pace

1:15 PM Donations, Japan, start No Comments

Last year, when an earthquake hit Haiti, one of the world's poorest hastened companies and non-profit organisations to support the country.

The first answer has more Japan than the much wealthier nation involved themselves with so far has left a devastating earthquake and tsunami, the 4,000 dead and at least 7,000 missing, was to all mention of an ongoing nuclear crisis is muted.

At least, was a total give lower than in other recent disasters so far to support the relief efforts in Japan. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy charity raised, more than $47 million in the first four days after the disaster in Japan. On the other hand the earthquake in Haiti had increased to four days more than US$ 150 million last year.

The difference with notions of Japan's wealth and readiness for a major disaster, compared to the resources of an underdeveloped country like Haiti, handle can have to do, say experts.

In Japan, some can large U.S. businesses feel more forced, aid donations, because they have great customers or other business interests.

"You have company, the operations in Japan, have employees in Japan," said Catherine Rosqueta, the Managing Director for the Center for high impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania.

Related: Japan earthquake: how we help

But others have held back to be - at least in the beginning - because they not think first of all, they were needed.

"There is a large government in place - a large, strong Government, which has to do so," said Anup Malani, Professor has studied at the University of Chicago law school, corporate philanthropy.

Some organizations are not also ask for money. Nicole Wallace, a senior writer for the Chronicle of philanthropy, said 14 aid agencies the publication spoke with raising funds were not active, because they focus only on the developing countries, or because they operate were if they were needed from,.

The Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday that company had donated so far 137 million US dollars in bar or donations in kind. This tally is probably higher than organizations that have received total cash, donations so far largely because it contains non-cash contributions such as food, shoes or even software.

Vary giving efforts
Just a day after the earthquake in Haiti in January, giant pre-packaged retail Wal-Mart announced a donation of $500,000 and said that it was food kits worth $100,000. Overall the company and its foundations gave more than $1 million to Haiti relief efforts.

In Japan, where 414 operates Wal-Mart stores, an initial response focused the company on the supply of more as a means of payment, as the company organizations, water and other supplies worked with Government and relief food to needy people. Then said on Wednesday it would it $5 million in bar and donations in kind, including 95 tons of water and emergency supplies such as tents, portable toilets, clothing and cover make.

It is not surprising, a company with local operations trying to help this infrastructure, use in a crisis, Rosqueta said.

"they may to local knowledge, local knowledge and deploy of resources in a way, that you not if you (not) in a country," she said.

Other companies also on how they can use their own resources, to help people in the country - focused to mixed results.

Soon after the disaster struck, search launched a person Finder application, engine giant Google that helps people connect, looking for each other. The company, which is also a donation of $250,000 made has drawn kudos for the trouble.

Bing, the search engine operation run by tech rivals Microsoft, citing Twitter where it to donate $1 for every time someone a semi-promotional legend retweeted pledged launched. According to which quickly traced Seattle times the company and promised $ 100,000 donations, after some Bing criticising its occurs, the earthquake as a marketing opportunity to use.

Overall, Microsoft, said that it about 2 million USD aid, including $250,000 in bar and the rest in kind such as software pledge was.

The software giant donated $1.25 million in bar and in-kind donations to the Haiti disaster.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC.)

Boeing Co., whose key customers are Japanese airlines, such as all-Nippon, announced on Tuesday that the company and its employees have a 2 million US-dollar donation to recovery efforts in Japan would make. Boeing has over 200 employees and some important business partners in that country.

About two weeks after the earthquake in Haiti, Boeing announced that employees about had donated $910,000 in the direction of relief efforts, and that the company would meet all employees gifts up to $1 million.

Starbucks, the coffee shops in Japan 15 years operated said this week it would donate $1.2 million toward relief efforts.

If the Haiti earthquake struck, the company's Foundation donated $1 million towards relief efforts and accepted donations for the Red Cross in your branches.

Not surprisingly, Japanese companies have been fast and generous in their response to the disaster.

Japanese automaker Toyota has donated US $ 3.75 million relief and recovery in his country of origin. The car manufacturers donated $500,000 to the relief operation in Haiti. Video game companies have also generously given.

If a company to donate said Rosqueta closely they look how they can donate should be used in an effective way, that actually helps with the work, rather than only for the company, decide.

"The first question is not, as a company, what can I donate?" she said.

Instead, she said the company should questions "what are the requirements on the ground?" Once you understand that then is the question, "is there a way that I can meet these requirements?" "

Renault says unfortunately execs on the spy claims

10:37 PM claims, execs, Renault, unfortunately No Comments

PARIS - French automaker Renault made a public apology to three managers had to answer accused of industrial espionage, according to the Paris public prosecutor that the trio never said.

Bank accounts in the Switzerland and Liechtenstein, claimed to have heard of the executives and of Renault's electric car, as the key to the case seen technology does not exist, prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told a press conference on Monday.

The response by the authorities in these countries has enabled the public prosecutor's Office ", released a number of theories, in particular that which was presented in the first complaint by the company Renault," Marin said.

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Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pelata excused the three men after Marin to repaired comments, giving as security, the injustice against them, after they were fired in January.

Bertrand Rochette, Matthieu Tenenbaum and Michel Balthasar have any wrongdoing from the beginning had denied and legal action against the automaker.

"(Ghosn and Pelata) are committed that reparations to the three EADS Executives are made, and the restored their honour in the public eye," Renault said in a statement.

Marin that the investigation was said, on now with focus on whether Renault was the victim of a fraud, because secure no evidence discovered their complaint of espionage.

The public prosecutor of Paris said Renault had already paid 310,000 euro for misrepresentation and had to pay 390.000 euro.

Story: Crunch time for Chrysler-Fiat partnership

"Renault is pressing charges and has submitted for civil procedure, the organized fraud", Renault said.

Renault confirmed it had convened a special Board meeting on Monday and said that it would make a statement afterwards.

The automaker management the case will unravel now is consequences count. Pelata has indicated that his own work may be at risk, say that Renault would accept the consequences "on the highest level of the company.", that is up to me

The 15 percent State-owned, that automakers came under fire for the implementation of own investigation of alleged espionage before the authorities to inform their fears.

The case soon caused tensions with China to a government source investigators followed up a possible link with China said before the introduction of a formal request. Renault and the Government later downplayed talk of the link and China denied involvement upset.

Renault was investigation for suspicion of fraud concerning the espionage accusations placed under Security Manager on Sunday.

An analyst, responsible not be named, said COO Pelata was "not necessarily indispensable, but it is still a significant shock" when he over the affair down state.

The case concerns also Carlos Ghosn, the dynamic CEO of Renault and its partner Nissan Motor.

At an early stage, he spoke out, saying that "Several pieces of evidence" had the automaker for its claims. But in February he said at he personally had participated in the investigation.

"If every time something happens in a company had to you take your pencil and go and look at what people are saying in it safely, the company would stop you to exist," he said.

Carlos Ghosn is seen as crucial for the Alliance Renault-Nissan, however: "Ghosn is now the only real cement the Alliance together hold,", the analyst said.

"In my view it would be a person not possible for everyone to play the two roles of CEO Renault and Nissan CEO, so that we would perhaps in a situation where the two groups apart instead of come closer together would grow" he added.

Brazilian born Ghosn's reputation as an auto industry guru to turn loss-making Nissan from a decade, and now jets between France, Japan, and the United States.

But he has not criticism escaped, come under fire for the failure of the Renault of ambitious 2009 strategic plan-on the larger Krise-- and in February was made responsible for which many industry analysts thought an underwhelming new plan.

Renault one botched spying allegations of rekindled memories in France the most painful episodes in the history of the Fifth Republic, which in 1979 was "Sniffer Plane".

In this case, the Elf was oil company (now part of a total) cheated of large sums of money, an aircraft designed to attracted to oil that was to develop as a joke.

In 2008, Deutsche Telekom by the disclosure was embarrassing that it's on your staff had binary by monitoring illegal call records and Board members and journalists targeted had.

But in June, German prosecutors against former Chairman and CEO of the company.

Isolated from Japan Quake insurance industry

2:18 PM industry, insurance, Isolated, Japan, Quake No Comments

Japan's massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster should not, likely, the most expensive natural catastrophe on the files, but the impact on the private insurance industry that Hurricane Katrina will exceed in 2005.

This is partly because Japanese House and apartment owners and companies heavily leave insurance system, rather than private insurance on a State-funded earthquake. As a result, only about 14 to 17 percent of the Japanese houses private earthquake have insurance, estimates the reinsurance Association of America.

The Japanese system is also a cap on total damage by the Government and private insurers paid. If total claims about above, are $60 billion payments pro-rata which means that House and apartment owners and companies would have to for a partial coverage of their losses to settle.

This is a relatively small payment for the private insurance industry, and it is distributed to more than one player.

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Nevertheless, be the total cost of the last week 9.0 magnitude quake and resulting tsunami astronomical. Estimates put total losses at $180 billion private bank, a figure which could later when leaks from a crippled nuclear power plant further damage, radiation

The figure on the files would - making Japan the most expensive natural catastrophe earthquake greater than Hurricane Katrina, the losses created $125 billion and some 1,300 people killed in the year 2005. Losses were about half of Katrina's insurance, which covers the insurance industry, in a $66 billion.

Story: Quake economic hit from Japan up to $200 billion seen

Thanks to the limits of liability and a longtime financial attack by the Japanese Government, the cost of the quake of Sendai, the private insurance industry will be probably far lower. Most cited widely estimates of insured damage comes from AIR worldwide, insurance consultant, who provides these losses in the range of $ 15 billion to $35 billion. This figure, the tsunami damage not cover could increase according to Jayanta Guin, AIR worldwide head of research and modelling.

"It is too early in the episode;" We hundreds all geophysical data and simulation of ground motion and estimate damage based run computer simulations using this simulation, "he said." "We are working out the details to see whether we can further customize it."

Insurance premiums rose after Katrina, but are unlikely this time around say to do analysts

The insurance impacts from the Sendai Quake likely above all of the Japanese domestic non-life insurance and life insurance industries "with a healthy portion of the community together global reinsurance" absorbed, said Robert Hartwig, President of the insurance information Institute, an industry group.

The biggest wild card estimates is damage the threat to life and property by the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, which was leaking radiation. These potential costs are recognized, but the private insurance industry is fully shielded from the financial effects.

After the Japanese nuclear Act of 1961 operators of nuclear plants for any damages liable as a result of a "severe disaster of an exceptional nature," according to the reinsurance Association. Tokyo electric power, the plant operator, has its own private property insurance for the work, but analyst at Swiss Bank Vontobel is excluded from the directive according to Stefan Schurmann damages due to earthquakes and tsunamis.

He said "These disasters by the property and casualty insurance policies are excluded,".

If insurance companies Quake purchases of large natural disasters such as the Japan and tsunami face, they are based generally on the other, larger insurers - so called "reinsurers", which serve as a backstop, when losses get too large. After raising the reinsurance industry keeps premiums after the large losses from Katrina, currently surplus capital from $50 to $70 billion, according to investment bank Credit Suisse.

Story: Japan crisis could squeeze car world production

The financial hit in the reinsurance industry will be tempered by payouts on private insurers by the Japanese Government, provides a separate earthquake reinsurance attack to the Japanese insurance industry. All of this global reinsurers can be well positioned to handle what could be the most expensive natural disaster in history.

Could contribute to, another round of increases as the moderate, which followed the huge payouts from Hurricane Katrina.

Insurance premiums cause usually in cycles, increases in so-called "hard" markets, if heavy losses insurers premiums to enforce, and fall into the "soft" markets, if large cash spark competition to new customers and discount discounts pillows.

Although the cost of the coverage of the earthquake Japan can be manageable, a string of losses, the more than $50 billion, including the large payouts on damage from the recent earthquake in Chile and New Zealand and floods in Australia have total results. So even before the earthquake of Japan, the cycle was swinging again created by surpluses of accumulated post-Katrina from the "soft" market.

But while premiums rise in Japan is expected, analysts say consumers anywhere else in the world probably not see large increases - if and as long as a more major disaster hits.

Quake shows weak link in global supply chains

3:35 PM chains, Global, quake, shows, supply No Comments

The disaster in Japan has a problem with such multinational companies as business suspended: the system they use to roles to keep deliveries is slim and low-cost - still vulnerable to sudden shocks.

Factories, ports, roads, railways and airports in Northern Japan have been shut down or damaged due to one he affected the nuclear power plant in the region. So, auto and technology companies are cut off from suppliers in the disaster zone. Some had to stop or slow production.

"When you're running incredibly slim and you're going global, very prone to errors, become Wheatstone", says Stanley Fawcett, Professor of global supply chain management at Brigham Young University.

The risks are higher, because so many companies keep inventory them low, to save money. You can maintain without new supplies not production for long.

Subaru of America has suspended overtime in the only North American in Lafayette, Indiana Toyota Motor Corp. canceled production overtime and Saturday in their 10 North American plants. The two companies try to save their existing supplies.

The auto plants damaged by the earthquake one was located in Miyagi, providing parts for hybrid batteries in Toyota Prius, Camry and Lexus hybrids. It is unclear if a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic, start the plant running again.

Story: plant shutdowns expand Japanese automakers

Even companies whose Japanese Lieferanten have escape damage encrypted to ensure, supply lines remain intact. Ford, based on a Japanese plant for hybrid batteries for the merger, the flight and the MKZ hybrid vehicles. This work was damaged in the earthquake. But Ford is transportation in Japan no chance because of the troubles. It is on the lookout for alternative supplies and seeking parts in centrifugal casting process when shipping is finished.

"The whole thing overnight could change", says spokesman Todd Nissen.

Story: Japan crisis could squeeze car world production

Car manufacturers all over the world tried to copy the Japanese car manufacturing system, the so slim and cost-efficient is considered. It is built to close links between Ministry of war car manufacturers and suppliers. But if a kink in this system, known developed line to an entire Assembly as the supply chain shut down within hours.

Toyota says that his 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles contain parts. Most come from about 600 suppliers. And the chain not everything. The 600 suppliers even rely on hundreds of other companies to provide raw materials and components.

Use vehicles for many interchangeable parts - of tubes and pipes, screws and nuts. But thousands of other parts are specifically designed for certain vehicles. Steering wheels, seats and even rear-view mirrors to distinguish from vehicle to vehicle.

"A car if you can create only 98 percent of the parts are," says Fred Hubacker, executive Director of restructuring company Conway MacKenzie in Detroit car. "Many of these parts are high-tech products that are not easily replicated."

The disaster threatens the delivery of Japanese of manufactured chips for consumer electronics, from washing machines to television sets to iPads. Factory shutdown and crippled shipping routes pose a security risk for companies that rely on chips for storing data. Japanese semiconductor Giants Toshiba Corp. and Renesas Electronics Corp. have temporarily closed facilities because of the quake.

The electronics companies, which depend on chips from Japan try that assess depth of supply disruptions. Chip prices have already jumped on fear of shortages. The price for a type of memory chip NAND Flash, often in portable electronic devices, used has called more than 10 percent increased since the disaster, analysts say.

For consumer electronics, supply chains are complex. Some phones have dozens of chips. Apple Inc. iPad requires parts from all over the world. The inside of the device show are how much coordination Apple must have enough parts with suppliers all over the world to ensure.

The Wi-Fi version the iPad uses a Toshiba chip data store, analysis of iFixit.com. The chips, the control communications of Broadcom Corp., in Irvine, California comes memory comes from Samsung Electronics Co., Korea. Texas Instruments Inc., power used for the touch screen a chip in Dallas. The processor is designed by Apple, based in Cupertino, California,

These are only the most important semiconductor guts of the machine. A variety of other chips that do other companies, other things in the iPad: activate the compass, for example, and detect if light the screen hits. All other iPad parts, from the glass touchscreen on the screws and cameras, come from a variety of suppliers.

Toshiba one of the companies was forced, after the quake factories closed. So, it is possible to delay that could disturb the delivery of chips for Apple and iPad shipments.

Apple declined comment. Toshiba representative back not immediately one message from the associated press on Wednesday.

HP new CEO, Leo Apotheker, the AP said that his company's infrastructure in Japan is "more or less intact", but that it takes longer to find out the extent of the damage in its supplier network.

Market research firm IHS iSuppli estimates that Japan is to make world's largest supplier of Silicon of semiconductor chips. Its deliveries around the world form about 60 percent.

Japan is also one of the main suppliers of "wafers", are the building blocks of computer chips.

Barclays Capital wrote in a note to investors, that a lack of large wafer consumers such as Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company and Texas instruments could squeeze analysts.

Multinational companies have built in the last two decades and closely managed supply chains that span the world. These chains associate low-wage factories in countries such as China with offices in Europe, Japan, and the United States. BYU Fawcett says, is highlighted, is "lean and global."

Companies have kept to an absolute minimum cost-cutting supplies. As many have to leave what quickly has "just in-time" deliveries with sales management according to.

But the efficiency conducted a risk: the lean, far-flung supply chains left multinational companies vulnerable to shocks provide. And the shocks come, one after the other.

The 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington froze global transport. The 2003 SARS outbreak production in South China down. In Iceland stopped air traffic in Europe the eruption of the volcano in the last year. And now a Japan disaster unfolds.

Fawcett says that companies begin to completely rethink the wisdom of supply chains that will have to cross oceans. In the middle of the 2000s, he says, some US companies started factories from China after Mexico. There, they could use still cheap labor without fighting with ocean crossings.

He says he suspects the trend - called "in the close sourcing" - more will become after the disaster in Japan popular.

Japan Quake economy will already come

4:38 PM already, economy, Japan, Quake No Comments

TOKYO Japan's central bank on Monday rushed to bolster markets in the wake of the country's worst disaster since World War II, and although the authorities said it was too early to put a figure on the damage, critics said a stronger initial response had been needed.

Global stock markets swooned at the shock of an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami that may have killed more than 10,000 and has left millions of people without power, water or homes.

Japan's Nikkei stock average closed Monday down 6.18 percent, losing over 600 points and registering its biggest single-day decline since October 2008. The sell-off on the Tokyo Stock Exchange wiped some 23.5 trillion yen ($287 billion) off the market's value.

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At the same time, engineers were battling to prevent a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi complex owned by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), where three reactors threatened to overheat in the worst atomic power accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Investment bank Credit Suisse put economic losses from the quake at no less than $171 billion, although Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said it was too early to put together a firm figure to compile a supplementary budget.

Insurance companies are looking at billions in losses from the earthquake and tsunami, with one early estimate placing the figure as high as $60 billion, which would make the disaster the most expensive ever behind Hurricane Katrina.

"Given the enormity of the earthquake that struck Japan ... it is still in the very early aftermath of the event," said Jayanta Guin, senior vice president of research and modeling at AIR Worldwide, which has put early estimates for insurance costs at $15-35 billion.

"Search and rescue efforts are still underway and damage assessment has only just begun, while considerable uncertainty still remains in the seismic parameters that define the event," added.

A Credit Suisse report suggested initial insurance cost estimates ranging from $10 billion to $50 billion.

Barrie Cornes, an insurance analyst at Panmure Gordon & Co. in London, warned that with the tsunami bill added in, the cost to the global insurance industry could rise above $60 billion dollars.

The Bank of Japan doubled its asset buying scheme to 10 trillion yen ($122 billion) Monday and held interest rates at 0-0.1 percent after it earlier said it would pump a record 15 trillion yen into the banking system, though some economists said it could have done more.

A swathe of high profile Japanese manufacturers, including Sony Corp, Toyota Motor Co and Panasonic have shuttered production lines, with restart efforts hampered by quake aftershocks.

About a fifth of the country's nuclear power generation capacity has been shut down by the disaster. Thermal plants also shut down, forcing the world's third-biggest economy to instigate rolling blackouts to conserve energy.

"The tremors will likely continue for one to two months, experts say, and are continuing now, so there's an immense amount of uncertainty and unclear points." said Masayuki Kubota, a senior fund manager at Daiwa SB Investments.

Economists said that the triple blow of quake, tsunami and nuclear accident is set to damage the already struggling economy harder and longer that initially expected.

Analysts have grown increasingly cautious about forecasting a quick economic rebound similar to that after the Kobe earthquake in 1995, thanks in part to Japan's indebtedness which at twice the size of gross domestic product means the government has less room for maneuver.

Some say a recession is possible.

"Power supply is a critical factor," said Michala Marcussen, head of global economics at Societe Generale. "If power production output is damaged in a sustainable fashion, that could have a durable impact on the economy.

Monumental task
TEPCO, the biggest power company in Japan, said on Sunday rolling blackouts would affect 3 million customers, including large factories and buildings from Monday onwards. It aims to end the blackouts by the end of April.

Policymakers face a monumental task reviving the economy, not only because of the scale of the disaster but because of their limited options.

After the Kobe earthquake, the government adopted an extra budget worth around 3 trillion yen.

"This time, the government can't afford to spend as much as after the 1995 quake given Japan's dire fiscal situation," said Takuji Okubo, chief economist at Societe General in Tokyo, who reckons a more realistic figure to expect is 1 trillion yen.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) had little room to move on rates, thanks to the legacy of the global financial crisis and years of economic stagnation, in stark contrast to New Zealand, where the central bank last week slashed interest rates by half a percentage point to 2.5 percent to support an economy hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on February 22.

"My initial impression is that the BOJ could have done more. Its traditionally reserved stance on policy easing remains in place even after the massive earthquake," said Masamichi Adachi, senior economist at JPMorgan Securities Japan.

"The BOJ also kept its economic assessment unchanged. The bank thus seems to be not fully taking account of strong uncertainty shrouding Japan."

Stock shock
The benchmark Nikkei stock average fell Monday amid concerns about rolling power blackouts hit the value of auto and electronics firms and the yen slid against the dollar.

Electronics giant Sony, maker of the Playstation gaming console, dropped 9.1 percent by the close of trade. The firm has suspended production at eight plants. Carmaker Nissan Motor Corp fell more than 9.5 percent after it shut down all four of its auto assembly plants in Japan.

"It will take quite some time until investors' confidence in Japanese manufacturers returns. When we look back at the Kobe earthquake, it took about a week to get an overall picture of magnitude of the damage," said Toshihiko Matsuno, senior strategist at SMBC Friend Securities.

The prospects of a massive recovery effort boosted contractor companies. Kajima Corp jumped more than 22 percent and Hazama Homes more than 19 percent.

The market impact of the disaster will be felt far beyond Japan. Companies that trade with Japan face a loss of business and worries that governments will look at nuclear power less favorably.

Story: Japan accident dims odds of U.S. nuclear revival

Almost 2 million households are without power in the freezing north and about 1.4 million lack running water.

Kyodo news agency said 80,000 people have been evacuated from a 20-km (13 mile) radius around the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, adding to 450,000 evacuees from the quake and tsunami.

An explosion rocked the number 3 reactor on Monday although Jiji news agency said the core container was intact. TEPCO shares were untraded as sell orders outnumbered bids 200 times.

The complex was rocked by a first explosion on Saturday, which blew the roof off a reactor building. The government had said further blasts would not necessarily damage the reactor vessels.

TEPCO said on Monday it had reported a rise in radiation levels at the complex to the government.

Authorities had been pouring sea water to keep the fuel rods in the reactors cool. Nuclear experts said it was probably the first time in the industry's 57-year history that sea water has been used in this way, a sign of how close Japan may be to a major accident.

"Injection of sea water into a core is an extreme measure," Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is not according to the book."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Japan stocks plunge on the first trading day after quake

6:26 AM after, first, Japan, plunge, quake, stocks, trading No Comments

BANGKOK - the Tokyo Stock market crashed waste to cities on the coast of Japan's Northeast Monday, his first business day after an earthquake and tsunami of epic proportions, caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. Other Asian markets were mostly down.

Oil prices dropped in the vicinity of $99 per barrel, after the disaster threatens the world's third largest economy in a recession, send demand for crude oil crimping. In currencies, the dollar against the yen and the euro fell.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average dived 633.94 points or 6.18 percent, to close - 9,620.49 wipe out achievements in 2011 when the collision with the lowest level in four months. On Friday, including massive power deficiencies that could interfere with factories, a broad sell-off raised concerns about the economic effects of the disaster, which hit all sectors. The broader Topix index fell by 7.5 per cent.

Shares of several large corporations sell orders were overwhelmed with and had still trade. The Tokyo Electric Power Co. was set up under which, from double-digit fall, since it with to rollenden power outages in parts of Tokyo and its suburbs announce faulty nuclear reactors and a lack of power who fought the company led.

Do with nuclear power companies such as those that build nuclear power plants, registered staggering losses, including Hitachi Ltd., to 16.2 per cent, and Toshiba Corp., down 16.3 percent. Mitsubishi heavy industries fell by 10 percent and Kobe steel Ltd., fell 6.4 per cent.

Shares in other sectors was also big hits as investors shares on concerns about the economic production and consumption threw. Automakers slipped as Northeastern Japan one of the most important centres for automatic production is complete with a variety of suppliers and a network of roads and ports for the efficient distribution.

Large manufacturer stopped production around the country. Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker, fell 7.9 percent; Honda lost 6.5%; and Nissan fell 9.5 percent. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. lost 11.8% and Isuzu Motors Ltd. fell 9.2 percent.

Insurance companies - many of which face is severe claims for lost objects and infrastructure probably - was also sharp drops, including Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., by 12.4 percent. Cosmo oil, whose refinery of the 8, 9-brightness-quake, slipped by devastating 21.6 percent to fire since is.

Analysts said that the forecast for the Japanese economy in the close future strong whether it might depending on the affected nuclear power plant of avert Fukushima Dai-Ichi reactor of meltdowns to. Damage reported four nuclear plants in the north-eastern Japan, but the danger was greatest in the Dai-Ichi plant.

"All costings, economic and humanitarian, remain easy depending on the resolution of the difficulties on nuclear power facilities, where two reactors are believed, have experienced to partial meltdowns." Authorities have in the facilities, which lost to coolant earthquake replace sea water pumps and prevent so on meltdown. The degree to which this was successfully vague remains, "said analysts at DBS Bank Ltd., in Singapore in a report."

Meanwhile, the industrial and business rose on expectations that they benefit from Japan's reconstruction efforts. Japanese construction company Kajima Corporation rose by 22.2% and Nishimatsu construction co., Ltd. jumped 19.3 percent.

Quake death toll surges in Japan result that massive earthquake and tsunami increased the death toll from Friday Monday as some 2,000 bodies found were Miyagi, Kyodo news on both sides in the Agency reported. New explosion nuclear power plant increased fears Japan nuclear health risks is low, not blow in the overseas international rescue effort gathers in Japan Japan's earthquake: such as to show images help Japanese quake, identity Dateline NBC Keith Morrison presents a photographic essay emotional images hit, emerged from the aftermath of the earthquake of Japan and resonate with their national identity. Japan earthquake aftershocks Quake since the first 8, 9-brightness, has Japan has been added by scores of aftershocks. See on this map. Pictures of chaos, destruction, 8, 9-magnitude quake, tsunami cause enormous damage.

Elsewhere, lost Hong Kong Hang Seng index 0.2 percent to 23,204.06 during South of Korea's Kospi by 0.8 per cent to 1,971.23. mainland China Shanghai composite index rose less than 0.1 per cent to 2,935.41. The Shenzhen composite index of China's Exchange smaller, second rose by 0.9 per cent to 1,310.99.

Shares in Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines were lower. Benchmarks in Indonesia and Thailand increased.

The Bank of Japan, earlier Monday, injected money markets to try to defend the already weak economy a record 15 trillion yen ($ 183,8 billion). By flooding the banking system with cash, money hopes the Central Bank further banks borrow and meet the increase probably demand after the earthquake Fund. A one day policy meeting of the Central Bank is to to stop later Monday.

On Wall Street on Friday finished stocks down in the week with modest gains. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 59.79 points, or 0.5 percent to 12,044.40. The S & P 500 rose 9.17 or 0.7 percent to 1,304.28. The NASDAQ Composite gained 14.59 or 0.5 percent to 2,715.61.

The prospect of a decline in demand for oil from Japan crude oil prices sent down $1.57, to $99.59 per barrel. In addition to the earthquake, oil prices fell for a scheduled day protests in Saudi Arabia drew only a few hundred people. Oil traders were worried the violence in the Middle East and North Africa to the world's number one oil exporter would spread.

Benchmark crude oil April delivery declined $1.79 at $99.37 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost $1.54 to $101.16 on Friday.

The yen emerged shortly after Friday quake, but then restored. The dollar was brought on Monday after hitting a three week high of 83.30 yen immediately after the earthquake lower against the yen to 82.07. euro $1.3933 $1.3890 late Friday.

Boeing wins $10 billion deal from China

7:10 PM billion, Boeing, China No Comments

HONG KONG - Boeing Co sealed deals amounting to $10 billion with two airlines in China, the world's fastest growing market, which will buy more than 2,000 aircraft in the next five years.

China expected job information 1,100 new transport aircraft and 1,000 general aviation, Wang Changshun county, Deputy Minister of civil aviation administration of China, at a Conference of Asian aerospace on Tuesday said.

Last minute orders for 200 aircraft in December EADS pushed subsidiary Airbus over to the U.S. rival for a third year. Both aircraft makers fly high demand of emerging economies and low-cost airlines and a shift towards less fuel thirsty jets.

Airbus said that Turkish Airlines has a firm order for 13 of its aircraft order placed $1.6 billion had ten A321 passenger aircraft and three A330-200 freighter.

"Boeing and Airbus have a backlog of something like 7,000 aircraft as a whole." "At the moment they are only the residue of deliveries is delete and so how do these new aircraft in the industry, the supply and capacity, impact", said Andrew Orchard, analyst at RBS in Hong Kong.

Air travel in China's increasingly wealthy population increasingly popular, compete are China Airlines, airlines and Cathay Pacific fleets with players such as Singapore to expand.

China's purchases of aircraft will help drive overall demand in Asia-Pacific, where traffic annual rate is 6.8 percent over the next 20 years, higher than the global pace grow average air expected, Boeing said. Asia-Pacific will be expected to demand one-third of the global level in the next 20 years.

Long range requirements
Air China Ltd., the country's flagship carrier, said that it plans to five Boeing 747-8 aircraft in the value of a list price of approximately 1.5 billion $, a step to buy, would be a boost for the slow sale of Superjumbos Jet.

Three customers have ordered the aircraft is Boeing's answer to the Airbus A380. Lufthansa ordered 20 years ago, while Korean Air ordered five last year.

"Airlines around the world talking, which have long-haul market requirements that an aircraft of around 450 have to sit," reporters Marlin Dailey, executive Vice President, sales & marketing of Boeing commercial airplanes. "I think that is a very good year for the 747 program."

The 747-8 was the last a very long series of very successful Boeing 747, said Andrew Herdman, Director-General of industry body Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. But so far it does caution concerning adoption.

"It a feeling that there are probably more derivatives thereof is not the end of the line at this particular type," Herdman said.

In a separate signed HNA group, parent of Hainan Airlines Co Ltd, a memorandum of understanding with Boeing 38 aircraft, including six Boeing 777 and 32 Boeing 787 purchase.

Story: Boeing gets $35 billion air force tanker order

The deal is worth $8.5 billion at list prices.

Boeing has delivered market share, now especially the half of China's with the rest of Airbus. Asia-Pacific demand for aircraft will be probably a significant portion of the demand from global airlines, which 30.900 new passenger and freighter aircraft by 2030 said Boeing aircraft, valued at $3.6 trillion would have to.

In the short term it is be diluted industry's Outlook but also by uncertainties in the global economy.

"This year be a bit slower than in the previous year, the reason for this is that the already sold most of the short-term production capacity that we have available," said Dailey.

"And so airlines a bit slow down before they make these decisions, because they availability within the timeframe 2014 / 15 want to speak aircraft", he said.

Japan company not sure if they back

5:49 AM company, Japan No Comments

Important factories close TOKYO - Japanese car manufacturer, electronics companies and oil refineries after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast, underlines the challenge for the Government as it rushes to limit the economic blow.

Electronics giant Sony Corp. has operations in eight works, including one optical film that triggered by Friday 8, 9-magnitude quake tsunami flooded was exposed to make. Nissan Motor output on all four of its domestic assembly factories stopped and said restarting it might depend whether it can collect parts.

This are only two in a long list of companies unsure how fast they secure their plants get can and run. The widespread damage to infrastructure and power rationing could after an accident at a nuclear power plant also hamper efforts, broadcasts resume, although works equipment is intact.

Experts say Japan's economy will suffer only a temporary setback from the Quake and could spending on reconstruction efforts in the kick start bounce-back to April.

But important technology and car exporters are expected to be among the hardest hit shares when markets open on Monday, output and pressure on profits reflecting short-term worry about possible interruption. Construction companies, which benefit from the reconstruction, are set to win.

"We are concerned about the infrastructure - streets, trains, buses, trucks." Not only are the things, which in the production delay, want to, but that produces materials that you need to be delayed. It is all a quarter or two, find "Brian Heywood, CEO of Taiyo Pacific partners, the $2 billion invested Japanese stocks." "Everyone will miss their number in the short-term."

Japan's beleaguered government is struggling to respond what has developed into the biggest crisis in the country since World War II. More than 10,000 people were killed, nearly 2 million people are still without makes and another 1.4 million without running water, media said.

Heads of State and Government are pushing for an emergency budget for relief and reconstruction, but the effort probably by huge public debt of the country, about 200 percent of the $5 trillion economy be restricted and grow. Japan spent about 3 trillion yen after the 1995 Kobe earthquake caused about $100 billion in damage.

The Bank of Japan is expected on Monday promise as much money as needed, to prevent that the disaster destabilising markets and its banking system to deliver. Also expected, it will further facilitate their willingness, the already easy monetary policy to signal.

"Some investors could rush to sell Japanese stocks tomorrow, but investors are also closely just how fast and solid Japan to a crisis like this, to respond", said Shinichi Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Credit Suisse Securities.

"For the Japanese Government to show strong leadership is essential, investor confidence in its economy and market again, above all, if the global economy on track for a recovery is led the United States"

Toyota Motor Co., the world's largest automaker, has stopped production at all 12 of its domestic factories in Japan and was unable to check in the affected area.

Panasonic Corp., said further aftershocks were so check by two factories in North Japan, an electronic parts and other digital cameras and audio devices. It said a lack of appropriate power and water supply was a potential bottleneck.

Securing a stable power supply relatively cheap could be a major hurdle for companies prove, said analysts.

Tokyo electric power, which is struggling to avert a meltdown at the Fukushima plant, said that it would restrict supply from at least April, including two large companies.

A fire in the vicinity of a Cosmo oil refinery Sunday not had extinct is another concern.

"I would say is, the greatest risk," said get.

Another risk is the potential strengthening of the yen, a 16-year high against the dollar, the profits of exporters, is already a close of the main pillars of the Japanese economy threatening floats.

The yen rose significantly after the Kobe earthquake as repatriated funds to cope with the disaster.

"The yen a ripple effect could have," said Taiyo Pacific Heywood. "A strengthening could depend Yen premature and unnecessary financial companies pressure that strong overseas sales."

Shares bounce, but still end day with big losses

8:46 PM bounce, losses, Shares, still No Comments

NEW YORK stocks fell sharply Tuesday as the nuclear crisis in Japan in the global markets weighed.

The stock exchange at the start of trading on news, that dangerous levels of radiation from a nuclear power plant crippled leaking were deleted. The plant was damaged last week in earthquake and tsunami. Japan, the world's third largest economy, accounts for 10 percent of US exports.

Peter Cardillo, chief market Economist at the New York brokerage house Avalon partners, said, that fear in the market had prevailed.

"It is later to ask questions to a situation where you are selling, and you," he said.

Intel Corp., National Semiconductor Corp., and other chip manufacturers were the biggest losers. Many companies are subject to Japanese factories for their products or components. Insurance companies, the shops in Japan, such as Aflac Inc., broke even.

The Federal Reserve statement that the economy is on firmer footing was shares some support.

Story: Fed says economic recovery on firmer foundation

After he fell as much as 297 points, the Dow recovered and ended on the day to close 137.74, or 1.1 per cent, to 11,885.42.

The standard & poor's 500 index lost 1,281.87 14.52 or 1.1 percent. The Nasdaq composite index fell 33.64 or 1.2 per cent to 2,667.33.

Investors sought the relative safety of the United States of Treasury bonds, sending prices higher and yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury Note fell as low as 3.20 percent in overnight trading. This is the lowest yield on the 10-year note this year.

Treasury was overthrown as shares during the financial crisis prices. Treasury bonds have fallen, as the economy recovers strength and stocks have, but events such as the Japanese Quake and tsunami send investors looking for safer places, has collected their money.

Tuesday's trading showed what shares if investors have no answers yet about a crisis. The extent of the damage from the Quake and the tsunami is not yet known. And so the impact on the country and its trading partners for some time is not known.

Stocks have since the earthquake was strong fluctuating. The Dow fell 228 points Thursday, and came back 59 points Friday. The market has a long history of the bouncing back after a big drop. But a longer period of volatility is likely until the situation in Japan is clear.

All 10 groups of companies in the S & P 500 fell Tuesday. Technology stocks fared worst, by 1.6 percent. Power outages have made it almost impossible for Japanese factories for the production of semiconductors and other electronics, Kim Caughey Forrest, equity said research analyst at Fort Pitt capital group.

Intel fell 3.2 percent, the best of a share in the Dow average. National semiconductor fell also 3 percent.

Energy stocks fell as oil prices fell below $100 a barrel as analysts expected lower demand because of the earthquake. Exxon Mobil Corp fell 1.2 percent.

Aflac was between insurers to 5.6 percent. The health and life insurance company has about 75 percent of the business in Japan, but said it was prepared to deal with claims in the country. Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., which has also operations in Japan, fell 4.5 percent.

Almost four stocks fell for all which rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 1.3 billion shares.

The associated press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Japan's investors can bring their money home

5:23 AM bring, investors, Japans, money, their No Comments

NEW YORK shaken by the prospect of nuclear collapse after the devastating earthquake and tsunami, are Japanese investors of dump foreign assets on Monday and bring their money home, to help finance reconstruction.

Positioning for this could send down the dollar against the yen on Monday and lead to a sharp slide in treasuries as U.S. Government bonds are favorite asset of Japanese investors, said market analysts.

Shares are likely to come well under pressure.

Japanese insurer will probably sell some of its most liquid foreign assets such as U.S. treasuries, so that they can respond to the worst disaster since World War II.

The crisis could lead to insured losses of nearly $35 billion, risk modeling firm AIR worldwide said, is one of the most expensive natural disaster in the history and almost as much as the entire global catastrophe loss for the global insurance industry.

Dealer for just such an outcome on Friday, when the yen rose and Government bonds were tight. The Bank of Japan is to limit the liquidation assets probably add money to the system. But the big question remains of how much follow through will still be the sale.

Dan foot, the Vice President $ 150 billion Loomis Sayles, told of Reuters on Sunday that his best guess is that treasuries will continue to see losses under.

Since Japan is the second largest holder of U.S. government debt and they have nearly $900 billion in dollar reserves, foot said that Japan will probably use reserves for the rebuild.

"A large buyer is taken from the bonds of the market," said feet, adding that Japan "less their reserves to buy Treasuries to and less able to be able."

Japan's crisis can also be a new reason, press on with the long-awaited pullback in shares offer.

Much depends on the price of oil, which fell on Friday on concern that the Japanese earthquake would hit global economic sentiment. There was upheaval in the region over the weekend from the recent highs reached on the revolts in North Africa and the Middle East, but continued - especially with a protest in Saudi Arabia.

Investors will help determine their usefulness in the grim exercise, which companies will benefit from the world's third largest economy rebuild.

"You could expect to do industrial infrastructure companies to see." "As for the negative, I see General markets it with long-term," said Paul Hickey, co-founder of bespoke investment group.

"I remember after the last big tsunami in Indonesia there was a widespread view that it would be devastating, but there was no great effect." "Granted, this is a much more developed region and certain insurance companies have greater exposure than others, but business will continue outside this region go to."

Shares remain elastic in the midst of a variety of risk factors typically relatively recently. World shares have come from heights, but are still at year up date benefits, in particular thanks to the developed markets.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan described the crisis as Japan's worst since 1945, as officials confirmed that three nuclear reactors at risk of overheating were raise fears of an uncontrolled radiation leak.

The disaster can also some of the Bank of Japan, said pressure on that, it was cutting short his upcoming two-day session on Monday only.

It can with prices do little per se even if it wanted to, because the current target is only 0.05%. It has however promised to guarantee market stability.

Many expect that the Bank of Japan to try all rise in the yen, struggling to pump more liquidity into the system, and for the Government. A strong yen would add to the economic difficulties of the export-oriented Japan as it struggles to recover from the disaster.

"I believe that we have reached a critical point where is the disaster so serious that BOJ liquidity mechanisms will engineer, which decreases the likelihood of forced to sell in the Treasury market," said Christian Cooper, head of the US dollar futures trading at Jefferies & co. in New York.

Even if the BOJ massive injections of liquidity required, expected an action in market on Monday, the US Treasury opens most analysts still expect to see, pressure on the US Treasuries sell, at least in the beginning.

Japan's stock market, now with global investors was such a thing as a favorite this year. The width of the TOPIX index was more than 8.5 percent in the year in mid-February before the recent pullback, and on Friday in connection with Quake sell-off.

Analysts suggested that company could suffer area losses in and around the main damage on Monday but that construction companies would get a boost.

Electronics giant Sony Corp. has suspended operations at eight plants. Nissan Motor output on all four of its domestic an assembly factories stopped and said restarting it could if it can get parts dependent on.

However, losses may be limited. Financial markets bounced back quickly after the earthquake of 1995, which devastated Kobe and caused $ 100 billion in damage.

Business Week

Wednesday, March 30

Fears grow as Japan parts supply, power is missing

Tuesday, March 29

Yen rise in reduced to G7 support for Japan

Monday, March 28

Japan quake cleanup could swamp with debt

Sunday, March 27

This IPO will be for the birds... Angry birds

Take wrestling with evacuation decisions

Saturday, March 26

Litany of failures in Japan nuclear industry

Friday, March 25

A crisis in confidence in atomic watchdog

Thursday, March 24

Cost for Japan Quake seen up to $200 billion

Wednesday, March 23

Donations to Japan start at slow pace

Tuesday, March 22

Renault says unfortunately execs on the spy claims

Isolated from Japan Quake insurance industry

Monday, March 21

Quake shows weak link in global supply chains

Sunday, March 20

Japan Quake economy will already come

Saturday, March 19

Japan stocks plunge on the first trading day after quake

Friday, March 18

Boeing wins $10 billion deal from China

Japan company not sure if they back

Thursday, March 17

Shares bounce, but still end day with big losses

Japan's investors can bring their money home

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