Japanese Parts Paralysis: The Shiny Paint Is Leaving The Building

Remember the first auto part that had been in short supply after the March 11 tsunami? It was car paint. Certain car paint that uses a shiny pigment called Xirallic, to be exact. That will also be one of the first Japanese parts that will move elsewhere as a result of the disaster. Germany’s Merck said today it will shift production of Xirallic pigments from Japan to Germany.

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