What do you do if you have strong opposition – obsolete, unsafe, un”Green” – to earning money by selling your wares in your own country? Oh, it is so easy. Sell your product overseas. Not too many years ago, the Indian made foreign cars were all of vintage when my father was a teenager!
When the domestic civil society says, “Not In My BackYard”, you go abroad. Bingo, you have got “Money In My Front Yard!”
This is what the Japanese nuclear industry is doing (Japan Courts the Money in Reactors, Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, October 10, 2011). “Why is Japan trying to export something it rejected at home?” The answer is way too obvious – to boost the nation’s income from high-end (high margin) exports. Never mind, there are only three players – Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toshiba. The fact is, with the domestic market for nuclear reactors having collapsed, they are “keener than ever to look overseas.”
How keen, you may ask. Its new prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda said, in an address at a no less an international gathering than the United Nations General Assembly, “Many countries … are seriously exploring the use of nuclear power, and we have assisted them in improving nuclear safety.” He added, “We will continue to answer to the interest of those countries.”
Some observations on the above: “Japan argues that its latest technology includes safeguards not present” at Fukushima Daiichi. May I then ask, what is stopping Japan from upgrading its nuclear plants and/or building safer new plants? Assist yourself in “improving nuclear safety”. Charity begins at home, after all.
Japan is incapable of answering to the interest of its own citizens. “[G]radual phase-out of nuclear power [in Japan] is inevitable.” No thanks to Fukushima Daiichi and the tsunami. Hence, that country will address the concerns of Turkey, a nation situated in a high seismic zone, and Vietnam. It is also taking marketing expeditions to the US, China and Lithuania. And, as it does it is sweetening its offers through funding deals.
Did someone mutter something about Trade-distorting-subsidies? I thought not. Because, France (think Areva’s EPR), the US, China and Russia (think Koodankulam) are also in the game. It is no more a question of some nations throwing subsidies at its own industries routed via other nations. It is now transnational subsidy regime that is operating beyond the grasp of toothless, multilateral outfits like WTO.
There is more in the article I have cited and also in another one, this about the situation in France (Post-Fukushima, France breaks silence on nuclear safety, Vaiju Naravane, The Hindu, October 11, 2011), that would make this piece interminable if I continued.
Hence I stop.
Raghuram Ekambaram
When the domestic civil society says, “Not In My BackYard”, you go abroad. Bingo, you have got “Money In My Front Yard!”
This is what the Japanese nuclear industry is doing (Japan Courts the Money in Reactors, Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, October 10, 2011). “Why is Japan trying to export something it rejected at home?” The answer is way too obvious – to boost the nation’s income from high-end (high margin) exports. Never mind, there are only three players – Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toshiba. The fact is, with the domestic market for nuclear reactors having collapsed, they are “keener than ever to look overseas.”
How keen, you may ask. Its new prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda said, in an address at a no less an international gathering than the United Nations General Assembly, “Many countries … are seriously exploring the use of nuclear power, and we have assisted them in improving nuclear safety.” He added, “We will continue to answer to the interest of those countries.”
Some observations on the above: “Japan argues that its latest technology includes safeguards not present” at Fukushima Daiichi. May I then ask, what is stopping Japan from upgrading its nuclear plants and/or building safer new plants? Assist yourself in “improving nuclear safety”. Charity begins at home, after all.
Japan is incapable of answering to the interest of its own citizens. “[G]radual phase-out of nuclear power [in Japan] is inevitable.” No thanks to Fukushima Daiichi and the tsunami. Hence, that country will address the concerns of Turkey, a nation situated in a high seismic zone, and Vietnam. It is also taking marketing expeditions to the US, China and Lithuania. And, as it does it is sweetening its offers through funding deals.
Did someone mutter something about Trade-distorting-subsidies? I thought not. Because, France (think Areva’s EPR), the US, China and Russia (think Koodankulam) are also in the game. It is no more a question of some nations throwing subsidies at its own industries routed via other nations. It is now transnational subsidy regime that is operating beyond the grasp of toothless, multilateral outfits like WTO.
There is more in the article I have cited and also in another one, this about the situation in France (Post-Fukushima, France breaks silence on nuclear safety, Vaiju Naravane, The Hindu, October 11, 2011), that would make this piece interminable if I continued.
Hence I stop.
Raghuram Ekambaram
9 comments:
Aren't we, Indians, doing the same thing? Recently the newspapers reported that an Indian court ruled that India could export to other countries the Endosulfan (banned in many states and proposed to be banned all over the country)remaining in Indian godowns.
Happens all the time..west including USA have been exporting products and technology unacceptable to the domestic needs...
Yes Matheikal; but, you look at the quantum. That has to make one sit up and notice. The US pushed tobacco into the developing countries once it found its domestic markets declining due to worries on the health front. The post is merely to point out in international relationships, it is the dometic economy that matters.
That is the logic behind MIMFY!
Raghuram Ekambaram
Dear DS sir,
So true. International realtionships are dominated by doemstic economic compulsions. But, isn't it a bit too much that you would peddle something that you had a nasty experience with and not too long ago? Had japan been allowed to research, develop and manufacture nuclear weapons, now I am not sure it would not have sold such weapons in the global weapons market.
Raghuram Ekambaram
The import of unsafe cheap goods is one subject that almost all love to wax eloquent in the US. It usually refers to cheap goods from China. The lid was blown sky high when all discovered to their horror that the cheap toys and jewelry from China which flood the US retail outlets were a serious health hazard. It was found that the toys were laced with lead; and the jewelry with cadmium. And, Cadmium, like lead, can hinder brain development in young children .Those fears led to uncovering that several other imports from China are also unsafe. For instance: Toothpaste and medical exports contained toxic antifreeze, passed off as glycerin; Gluten in pet food contained toxic melamine, and poisoned thousands of American dogs and cats; Fish were contaminated with banned antibiotics and chemicals; a toxic dye was used to color egg yolks red; Pork was tainted with a banned feed additive; and 450,000 tyres were found unsafe, liable to burst etc etc.
The US in eternal debt to China studiously anxious to avoid trash (harsh) talks entered into series of informal agreements and exchange of delegations.
The US too plays a similar game. Export of products found unsafe for US consumers is a paying business. The most common of such products are chiffon skirts, blouses and scarves that did not meet standards protecting the public from "highly flammable wearing apparel”; and Isobutyl nitrite used in inhalers known as "poppers" to enhance sexual arousal, banned in US following allegations of side effects, including the spread of AIDS.T here are many other such unsafe products as you mentioned.
At another level is: the dumping of nuclear waste; disposal of computer junk; old ships to be dismantled etc.
I was not aware about Indian exports of similar nature that Matheikal pointed out.
It looks all are into this ‘NIMBY and Yes to MIMFY’ as you put it.
Thanks for so much details Sreenivasarao sir! I truly have stirred a hornet's nest :).
But, do tell me whether the leader of any country has addressed the UN saying, "This is not safe in my country. But, I suggest you buy it from us!"
Things are done secretively. Or by denial - like tobacco and cancer, never acknowledged; asbestos, similarly. Ship breaking along the coast of Gujarat. Dumping toxic substance in Ivory Coast. The list must be endless, but the speech by the japanese prime minister must be one off a kind. This is what took my breath away.
Sir, thanks for visiting and adding much.
Raghuram Ekambaram
Dear Shri Raghuram, Well...I do not know if anyone else declared as such at an International Forum. But, there is no secrecy about America's policy of exporting products it doesn't want sold within in domain: "Our export policy is based on a desire to see U.S. manufacturers be able to compete in foreign countries in terms of price and marketability, not safety.”…..” "If ABC Co wants to sell such products to any country in the world that will accept these products, they're free to do so, as long as they don't sell them in the United States,”
That may not be great for public relations, but it is permitted. Under the current law, companies have to seek the approval of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) when they export products that violate mandatory standards or bans. The CPSC approval rate of such requests is about 96 percent.
Regards
Thank you sreenivasarao sir for coming back; Yes, money rules, be it Japan or the US or any of the 180+ countries!
You set me right on that. Thanks.
There really is no difference between Arafat showing off his revolver and Noda pitching for Papanese nuclear reactor technology, both in the UN General Assembly!
Raghuram Ekambaram
Raghuram Ekambaram
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