Important information re. the delivery situation of our suppliers in Japan


31 March 2011:

CitizenCEJ declaration of no radioactive contamination. Please click on the image on the right side.

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Dear customers,

In order to clear up the confusion regarding the contamination of imports from Japan, we have contacted the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Salzgitter, Germany. In accordance with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, a limit of 4 Becquerel/cm² is considered to be safe. Even higher measured values are not hazardous to health. Nevertheless, this value has been set for transports in free circulation. Should you carry out measurements is your company, please kindly consider this limit.

Best regards

Wolfgang Endrich

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Nagold 29 March 2011


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Our answer to your question whether we screen consignments arriving from Japan for radioactive contamination is No.

We have ordered a Geiger counter, although we do not see the necessity to screen for radioactive contamination right now. Unfortunately, we have no confirmation of the delivery date, as there is a run on Geiger counters.

1.   Please keep in mind, that also in Germany we are permanently exposed to radioactivity. There are sources in the Black Forest which naturally contain radioactivity, but in negligeable amounts which are not hazardous for humans. Due to the massive concerns of the population, we will now ask our suppliers if they have taken appropriate measures. One of our suppliers, the com-pany Citizen, has charged an external contractor with the screening of the exports.

2.   A contamination of the goods inside of the production sites is unlikely, and therefore we assume that the consignments are free of radioactivity when leaving the sites. Nevertheless, radioactive fallout might impair the consignments during transport, from the production sites to the airport and there until loading is completed. As far as we know, the airlines screen consignments for contamination at the airport.

3.   The Federal Office for Radiation Protection has published a memorandum, from which we may quote:
„The limit for imports is at 370 Becquerel (caesium 134/137) per litre/kilogramme. Therefore a spreading of the radioactivity from Japan to Europe is unlikely. A new Act by the European Commission is currently in preparation. The duty for import control of consignments applies pri-marily to the Federal Police and the customs authorities. Should an already imported good be suspect of being contaminated, the federal authorities provide assistance regarding measuring and evaluation of the radioactivity. According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, a reasonable suspicion may be assumed for consignments coming from the Fukushima region.”

Please be assured that all goods imported by us, are supplied from Southern Japan, i. e. South of Tokyo. Nevertheless, we will watch the further development thoroughly, also in compliance with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. As soon as possible, we will as a matter of course screen all incoming consignments from Japan.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Endrich

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Overview concerning the situation of our suppliers in Japan (Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 12:00 a. m.):

Dear customers,

During the last week, we have informed you about the situation of our suppliers. With regard to production, all suppliers are able to deliver, but after the shock and the clearing-work our suppliers have partially only now begun to check if and to which extent their suppliers of raw materials, semi finished products and packaging material are able to supply. The answers are still pending and will arrive within the next days or weeks. We ask you for your kind understanding that right now, we cannot give you more detailed assertions. Forecasts beyond the next months are absolutely impossible. Above all with regard to the uncertain situation at the six reactors in Fukushima, where the impacts on the factories within a radius of 100-150 km are depending on the precautionary measures by the Japanese Government. Should the region around Fukushima be contaminated, all production sites within a radius of 50 km or more could be suspended. But this is not more than our own assumption and speculation.
Please refrain from daily calls at our company. We will publish all news to the best of our knowledge and belief here on our web site.

Also the confirmation of new orders by our suppliers is highly influenced by this situation. It will turn out during the next weeks, if the delivery dates of confirmed orders will be kept. Should there be any delays, we will inform the customers concerned immediately. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Following of our suppliers have given us the following information:



Citizen Elektronic light diodes, high-power light diodes, sensors Official statement of Yoshihiro Gohta, Citizen president:
“Fortunately, human damage was not caused in Citizen Electronics and its group companies’ production sites and sales offices located in Japan.  Heavy damage was also not found in buildings and production facilities of main production sites in Yamanashi (head office, citizen Electronics Timel Co., Ltd. and three subcontract factories) that account for about 70 % of domestic production.  The main production sites have been operating as usual, 24 hours a day, since March 14, 2011, although the production has been adjusted due to rotating power cuts.
Buildings and production facilities of Citizen Electronics Funehiki Co., Ltd. (District: Funehiki-cho, Tamura-shi, Fuku-shima-ken) were partly damaged by the earthquake that occurred on March 11, but they were restored so well by workers’ strenuous efforts that the production was resumed on March 14.  In addition, electric power is supplied to Funehiki district.  However, Citizen Electronics Funehiki is located 44 km away from the Fukushima Dai-ich Nuclear Power Station.  The Government has issued instructions that residents staying in the area 20-30 km radius from the station shall stay indoors.  Citizen Electronics Funehiki is located outside the area, but its employees have been staying home according to our own judgement and the operation of Citizen Electronics Funehiki has been suspended since 10 a.m. on March 15.  We are establishing a backup system in China factories, which are our subsidiary companies, as well as in the Yamanashi production sites for products that were scheduled to be produced in Citizen Electronics Funehiki.  We recognize that there is only a limited effect on the entire production.  The IT system also works properly in our company and all our group companies.”
The supplier of the chips, Nichia, is also not involved.  Deliveries are expected to be delayed up to 2 weeks.
Right now, we expect delays of 2 weeks, but we are informed only on Friday afternoons which orders have been produced and picked-up by the forwarder.  A preponing of orders or an increase of delivery quantities cannot be confirmed.  At present, we do not receive by the supplier any confirmation of delivery dates for orders placed during the past week.  
We expect an improvement of the situation within the next 2-3 months.
Everlight optoelectronical components no damages at the company or at suppliers. All proceedings as usual.
MARUWA EMC components, VCO no damages at the company or at the suppliers. Transport is uncertain, so deliveries can be impaired.
Nippon Ceramic pyro-sensors, ferrites, ultrasonic transducers the company produces at the Japanese west coast. They have no damages. The production is running at full power. If subcontractors are involved, they do not know.
NJRC ASICS and semi-conductors little damage to the factories of the company group.  Evalua-tion of possible effects of the impact at suppliers and their pro-duction plants are in progress.  Immediate information about major damages by the company.
On Semi semi-conductors at the moment, we have no information
Prosperity Dielectrics Co. MLCC, chip resistors no damages at the company or at suppliers.
Sanyo capacitors, POSCAP, Oscon no damages because production plants in the province of Kyusyo, in China and Indonesia. No problems at the suppliers. The production is running at full power.
Semitec NTCs, current regulating diods the company is located in Tokyo, has no damages. They produce in full amount. They do not know if subcontractors are involved in problems.
SUN electrolytic capacitors the company is located about 700 km south from the earthquake areas. They have no damage and are producing at full power; they cannot tell us if subcontractors or suppliers are suffering from problems
SMI quartz oscillators 1 out of 3 production sites damaged, which is situated in the Fukushima region.  This company is specialized in customer-specific and/or high frequency quartz crystals.  Delays of 3-4 weeks are to be expected.  All customers concerned have already been informed by us.
Susumu thinfilm resistors the company produces at the Japanese west coast and has no damages. They do not know if their suppliers have problems.
Tateyama manufacturer of NTCs the company has their factories at the Japanese west coast and has not had problems caused by the earthquake. As far as they know, also the subcontractors are not suffering from any problems
VCO
the production plants are located in other parts of Japan and have not been affected. They do not believe there will be any supply problems.
YDS resistors, chip attenuators planned power outage will be compensated by private power generators, so that production will run as scheduled. At the moment no knowledge of problems at suppliers or deliveries.

General information on the situation regarding deliveries and transport in Japan (as per DHL):

Airports
The airports Narita and Haneda are still open for international flights, but the embargo imposed by the Cargo Handling companies in Narita remains effective, except relief supplies and medical material.  
Due to the current situation, freight with destination Narita is rerouted to Haneda, Osaka and Nagoya airports and then transported by truck to Tokyo.
Freight terminals are open for the clearing of outbound air freight.  At present no major back-logs for Japanese export freight.

LH Cargo and Japan Airlines have announced to check all incoming airplanes from Japan re-garding a possible radioactive contamination.  Furthermore, LH Cargo announced a screening regarding radioactive contamination for all consignments picked-up in Japan at the Osaka and Nagoya stations.  We assume that other airlines will follow this proceedings.  At present, a possible delay caused by these screenings cannot be estimated.

Also today, all highways in and around Tokyo (Kanto) are open.  The streets from Tokyo (Kanto) into the hit Northern regions are still closed for normal traffic; open for emergency vehicles only.

Regarding radioactivity, we have received the following chart (Radiation Levels, look to the right side):

The forwarders affirm that each consignment is checked regarding radioactive contamination prior to shipment.  Precautional measures by our clients are thus not necessary.  According to official statements, the radioactivity in Tokyo is considered to be of a low level. 
There have been no damages in the Tokyo Bay caused by the tsunami.  Sky-scrapers are also not severely damaged. 
At present, the radioactive emission by the nuclear power plant in Fukushima does not increase the level of radioactivity in Tokyo.  The level of radioactivity recorded on March 15, has been 0.000809 mSv/h.  This is con-siderably lower than the exposure on a flight from Frankfurt (Germany) to New York, which is at 0.2 mSv/h, or during an X-ray of the stomach with an exposure of 0.6 mSv/h.  On March 16, the level had been at 0.000054 mSv/h.  So there is absolutely no reason to assume a contamination of delivered goods.  We do not recommend the purchase of Geiger counters for incoming goods control.

We want to inform you that we have also buffer stocks in Nagold. If you should wish special information about the availablity of components, please contact our inside-sales staff, who will give you stock information as good as possible.

Very best regards

Wolfgang Endrich

 

CEJ declaration of no radioactive contamination 201131March

 

Prefectures have been affected by Earthquake on Mar 11th in Japan

 

Radiation Levels

 

 
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