Chinese President Hu Jintao told U.S. President Barack Obama that the yuan would be revalued by taking global economic changes and domestic economic management into consideration, apparently setting the stage for another yuan upgrade.
There is also a minority viewpoint: The government may allow the currency to appreciate by several percent to prevent the influx of speculative money that would come with a gradual revaluation. A sudden appreciation, though, could deal a blow to China's exporters, pressure a fragile employment situation and shake public support of the government. As a result, an increasing number of experts see the above scenario as too politically risky.
There is also the possibility that the government will not move for the time being to avoid being criticized for yielding to U.S. pressure. Three days before Hu and Obama met, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping told former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the nation would not change its currency policy. And a spokesperson for the country's Commerce Ministry said that with China logging its first trade deficit in six years in March, the yuan should be kept stable.
Source: The Nikkei Weekly, April 19, 2010
Credit traders, energy-saving equipment makers gearing up ahead of nationwide implementation A Tokyo Metropolitan Government ordinance requiring businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions took effect April 1 along with the revised Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy, creating a boom for companies offering energy-saving equipment and support services.
The Tokyo ordinance applies to office buildings, factories and other business establishments that use the energy equivalent of 1,500kl of crude oil or more a year. From fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2014, offices will have to cut CO2 output 8% and factories 6% from the average of any three consecutive years from fiscal 2002 to fiscal 2007. The revised energy-saving law requires that such business establishments regularly submit reports to the central government on their energy use.
Source: The Nikkei Weekly, April 19, 2010
Carmakers opting for lighter parts to boost fuel efficiency in response to environmental rules Carbon fiber is widely used in aircraft, but it has seen only limited automotive applications. That seems set to change, however, as Toray Industries Inc. and Germany's Daimler AG announced on April 28 that they will jointly develop carbon fiber materials for the automaker's Mercedes-Benz luxury cars starting in 2012.
Tougher global environmental regulations are taking root, pushing domestic and foreign automakers to make their vehicles lighter to improve fuel efficiency. Both lightweight and strong, carbon fiber appears to be a logical choice.
Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic is half the weight of iron and about 30% lighter than aluminum, but it is generally 20-30 times more costly than iron. The material has been used in axles and other car components, but the high cost has kept it from becoming a mainstream material in mass-produced cars.
Toray has made carbon fiber materials for luxury auto brands such as Italy's Ferrari SpA. With the Mercedes-Benzes priced at 12-20 million yen ($128,000 to $213,000) and steel prices rising, the company can see a path to profitability for the Daimler collaboration via cost reductions, even with production for merely tens of thousands of vehicles.
Automakers can lift the fuel efficiency of their vehicles by improving engines, introducing hybrid and all-electric technologies, and reducing weight. With a 30% weight cut said to improve fuel efficiency by 20%, automakers are scrambling to use lighter materials and pare the number of parts.
Nikkei Weekly, May 3, 2010
Efforts have been accelerating to recycle precious and rare metals, including gold and palladium, essential for high-tech products, by collecting them from electronic devices lying idle at home. A cell phone contains more than 10 kinds of precious and rare metals, which are used in the electronic circuits and recharger connector components.
Sraps of cell phones are crushed and put into a furnace designed to make copper, together with copper ore. They are heated at 1,200 C, with non-copper impurities later separated through electrolysis. From the muddy impurities, 0.6 to 1.6 kilograms of gold and 1.6 to 3.6 kilograms of silver are extracted monthly, according to the refinery.
Yet currently the only recycled materials are gold, silver, copper and palladium, the refinery said. Should mineral prices rise further and the amount collected increase, making the recycling more profitable, the company might increase the types of materials it recycles in the future.
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is expediting efforts to expand the collection of used products and establish a technology to extract rare metals from the scrapped devices. In November, the ministry conducted a campaign to collect cell phones lying idle at home and elsewhere. Through a three-month campaign offering gift certificates, it collected about 570,000 used cell phones.
Meanwhile, through cooperation with academic and industrial institutions, the ministry is developing technology that uses a special solution to extract metals such as indium, which usually had been discarded after cell phones and other electronic products were thrown away. For resource-poor Japan, exploring ways to effectively use "urban mining" to procure rare metals has become an essential task.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, May. 3, 2010
Tokyo's department stores and makers of fast-fashion--fashionable, low-priced apparel, associated with brands such as Uniqlo--are increasingly joining together to expand their respective sales.
Los Angeles-based Forever 21 on Thursday opened its new Asian flagship store at Matsuzakaya department store in Ginza, Tokyo. The shop's opening is the result of compatible interests: The department store wants to attract a wider range of clientele; the specialty store wants to expand its sales through a prime downtown location. Similar developments are likely to be seen in the months ahead, according to one industry insider.
On April 23, Uniqlo--operated by Fast Retailing Co.--opened a new flagship location in the Takashimaya Times Square department store complex near Tokyo's JR Shinjuku Station. In the first three days since Uniqlo's opening, the department store experienced a 30 percent jump in customers, compared with the same three days last year. Sales, too, saw a double-digit spike. "Uniqlo certainly attracted more customers to our department store," a spokesperson for Takashimaya said.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, May. 1, 2010
The secondhand market is growing rapidly, particularly for those who still want to enjoy their shopping despite the lingering economic downturn. Specialists say consumers' minds are apparently changing in Japan, where people were widely believed to be far more obsessed with new products over used goods than in other developed countries.
"Rakuten is showing that it is embarking on secondhand goods seriously," Yako said. "People can feel more secure when they buy used goods from online shops rather than at Web auctions because they have after-sales services." Ohara of Hakuhodo said stronger demand in secondhand goods was noted following the worldwide financial meltdown in late 2008. The subsequent recession reduced incomes and prompted more people to turn to low-priced secondhand goods, she said. "I think another factor is that people, having become more ecologically conscious, are trying not to be so wasteful by throwing away so many things," Ohara added. "And the economic downturn has just accelerated the trend."
Source: The Japan Times, May 5, 2010
Sunscreen lotions have been used mainly at holiday resorts in midsummer. But new products for this spring-summer season are for everyday use. Cosmetics makers are trying to cash in on demand from women who want sunscreen lotions that can both block ultraviolet rays and keep their skin white.
Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. renovated its mainstay Allie brand. New items released on March 1 contain a sheet-like agent that scatters ultraviolet rays instead of the ball-shaped one in previous products. The sheet-formed agent can cover the skin surface more thoroughly and prevent moisture from escaping. The maker boasts that the new products have an even better moisturizing effect.
Source: The Nikkei Weekly, April 19, 2010
The number of children in Japan under the age of 15 is estimated to have dropped 190,000 in the last year to 16.94 million. In a report issued on the eve of Children's Day, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said kids comprised 13.3 percent of the population as of April 1. It was the 36th straight year the percentage has fallen and remained the lowest worldwide. There were 8.68 million boys aged 14 or younger, compared with 8.26 million girls. By age group, the number of children aged 12 to 14 made up the largest segment at 3.56 million.
Source: The Japan Times, May 5, 2010
The Office of Commercial Affairs,
Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
Source : http://www.depthai.go.th