The copper down cycle has taken a big bite out of the profits of Japan’s trading companies. This morning, Mitsubishi Corp., Japan’s biggest trading house, announced ¥430 billion (US$3.8 billion) in write downs on a list of commodities assets, starting with...
Japan’s Chemical Reaction
Trade data captures disruptions in Japan’s organic chemicals exports In our last follow-up on Japan’s triple disaster in March (“Gauging Japan Disaster’s Impact”), we quoted Port of Long Beach spokesman Art Wong on the repercussions for container trade: “Ships take...
Japan Food Alert
Governments issue orders to test or suspend imports As Japan reports radioactive contamination of plant and animal foodstocks in the prefectures nearest the still-to-be-contained nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, countries around the world are moving to block...
Japan Fall-out
Radiation fears cause shortages of iodine, drive demand for seaweed While the struggle to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants goes on, reports are coming in from Brooklyn – more than 6,600 miles away from the threat of radiation release – that upscale...