Despite Quick Fix
Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong returned from Japan on July 12 and told the company’s device solutions and display divisions on July 13 to work on a contingency plan with regard to Japan’s semiconductor and display material export restrictions. “The vice chairman succeeded in procuring some of the restricted materials, that is, photoresist, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine polyimide, during his business trip to Japan,” said a Samsung executive.
It is said that the vice chairman secured some inventory via Japanese material suppliers’ production facilities outside Japan. “We need to be able to respond quickly to emergency situations and industrial changes as a market leader,” the vice chairman said at his meeting with the divisions on July 13.
He demanded a contingency plan at the meeting, saying that Samsung Electronics’ products such as mobile phones and TVs as well as semiconductor components can be affected without exception once Japan’s export restrictions are expanded.
Under the circumstances, Samsung Electronics is likely to work on import source diversification to China, Taiwan, Russia and so on while taking measures to help accelerate the growth of the domestic material and component industry.