Japan authorities conduct safety check at Kobe Steel plant

Authorities in Japan are conducting safety checks at a Kobe Steel aluminum plant that supplied components for a domestically built passenger aircraft, Keiichi Ishii, the country’s transport minister, said on Tuesday.

Kobe Steel’s revelations of widespread tampering in the specifications of its products have sent a chill through global supply chains managing cars, trains, airplanes and other equipment. While no safety issues have been identified, the company is the subject of a US Department of Justice inquiry and has said it is losing customers.

The inspection of Kobe Steel’s Daian plant west of Tokyo focused on the safety of components being used for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) passenger aircraft, which is being developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ishii told reporters.

“As a country of design and manufacturing, we have an unmistakable commitment to safety,” Ishii said. “We want to be absolutely sure of product safety as the MRJ heads towards mass production.”

The repeatedly delayed MRJ is central to the Japanese government’s plans to revive an aerospace industry dismantled after World War II. The aircraft has yet to enter service.

Products with fabricated data have been used in the aircraft, a spokeswoman for Mitsubishi Heavy said on Tuesday, adding, however, that no safety issues have been found. There is no impact on testing schedules for the MRJ, she said.

Kobe Steel shares, which have fallen about 36 percent since the scandal broke, were up 1.6 percent by the end of morning trade on Tuesday in Tokyo.