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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, September 28: The French motorbike industry is attempting a comeback onto a market dominated by Asian firms, with the launch of a new 1,000 cc two-cylinder machine made by Voxan. The Voxan, unveiled at the opening of the "International Two-Wheeled Vehicle Fair" in Paris, is the first all-French motorbike since Motobecane halted production in the early 1970s-barring a few ill-fated projects involving Citroen car engines and a scheme for a diesel-powered bike. The chances for Voxan appear better in that the makers have targeted a specific market "slot" for large machines while avoiding the need to build a large industrial complex by resorting as far as possible to sub-contractors. Voxan was conceived in July 1995 by Jacques Gardette, a motorbike fanatic keen on "industrial ventures". Gardette is also director of Biodome, a firm specialised in packaging for pharmaceuticals.
"It struck me as being illogical from an industrial point of view" that "France which is the third biggest market in the world for big motorbikes (after the United State and Germany) has no home-grown production," he said. After a market survey, Gardette decided to aim for the "discerning client" between 30 and 50 seeking to acquire a quality product.
NEC to appeal on dumping tariff
Japan’s NEC Corp said it would appeal a decision by the US International Trade Commission which upheld the imposition of dumping duties on exports of Japanese supercomputers to the United States. "We feel (the ITC decision) is quite regrettable and far from acceptable," NEC said in a statement. NEC claimed Japan’s supercomputer exports to the United States were highly unlikely to inflict any damage on the US computer industry given the fact that there had been no US purchases of Japanese supercomputers in the past. NEC would "immediately appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit," the company said in the statement. In conformity with the US Commerce Department’s decisions in August, NEC will face a 454 percent anti-dumping duty on its supercomputer exported to the United States, while Fujitsu Ltd. will be slapped with a 173 percent tariff.
Strike shuts ailing Kia Motors
Some 12,000 workers from the troubled Kia Group went on strike here, accusing the government of pushing to have the ailing automotive group put in receivership. "Down with Kang Kyung-Shik," the striking workers chanted in reference to South Korea’s economic czar during a heated rally at the sprawling Kia Motors Co plant on the southern outskirts of Seoul. About 50 Union representatives had their heads shaved during the rally as a gesture to show their willingness to fight. Amid chants of "Stop Samsung taking over Kia Motors" and "Let’s keep Kia in place," the striking workers accused the Samsung Group of colluding with the government to buy Kia Motors as a way over overcoming problems faced by its own new automaker. The strike brought a halt to the company’s 2,500 vehicles-a-day production lines here and on the southwestern coast of Seoul.
