09:30 - 10:30, International Conference Hall
Workshop G
Multinational Enterprises and Overseas Transfer
Chairs: Takehiko Murayama and Domyung Paek
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Takehiko Murayama
Division of Multidisciplinary Studies, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
ABSTRACT
For developing countries, asbestos is a 'precious' material for buildings construction and production manufacturing. Therefore, those countries may repeat almost the same experiences that advanced countries suffered from severe damage induced by asbestos contamination. Unfortunately, not a few problems including Minamata disease and arsenic pollution have happened in developing countries. Although some people say that quality of environmental protection increase as stages of an economic growth rise, asbestos use in developing countries must be strictly regulated in the earlier stage.
In fact, world trade statistics shows that asbestos imports have been increasing in Thailand, India, and China, whereas those of Japan and Korea have been rapidly decreasing. In addition, that of Vietnam is also gradually rising. In accordance with such trend on asbestos imports, exports of asbestos cement production of Thailand, China, and Malaysia have been rapidly increasing. Taking those tendencies into account, people could suppose that Asian region has been constructing an economic structure in which the region imports asbestos, and exports as various products after manufacturing. In such process, we have to inquire whether protection measures in occupational and residential environment have been appropriately installed.
Some Japanese companies have transferred their production activities to Asian countries. As the reasons why they go to such countries, the following two points should be noticed. Like those of other many industries, one is an expansion of their business into new markets. It is very easy to reduce production costs in this region because labor powers are cheaper than in Japan. Another reason comes from the situation that production activities in Asian countries are easier than in Japan, because environmental regulations in those countries are less strict than in Japan. Accessible documents indicate that the number of facilities which Japanese companies invest and/or operate is increasing.
In view of the above-mentioned situations, we have to monitor the trend of asbestos use and related production activities as well as environmental protection in Asian countries.