Kobe says overseas businesses may be affected

TOKYO - Kobe Steel's chief executive said on Thursday the firm's data-fabrication may have spread beyond Japan and he was ordered by the government to report on how the misconduct occurred and address safety concerns that have sparked a scare along global supply chains.

Hiroya Kawasaki told reporters the cheating scandal has left Kobe's credibility at "zero", underscoring the deepening crisis at the steelmaker and the sweep of quality problems besetting Japan's manufacturing sector.

"We will make efforts to regain trust as soon as possible," Kawasaki, 63, told reporters after meeting government officials.