Data-cheating may have spread beyond Japan: Kobe Steel CEO

Kobe Steel’s CEO said on Thursday the firm’s data-fabrication may have spread beyond Japan, as he was ordered by the government to report on how the misconduct occurred and address safety concerns that have sparked a scare along global supply chains. Hiroya Kawasaki told reporters the cheating scandal has left Kobe Steel’s credibility at “zero,” underscoring the deepening crisis at the steelmaker and the sweep of quality problems besetting Japan’s once-vaunted manufacturing sector. “The credibility of Kobe Steel has plunged to zero. We will make efforts to regain trust as soon as possible,” Kawasaki, 63, told reporters after meeting government officials.