No suitable evidence could be located after a documented search.
A 2018 press report said Kobe Steel's data fraud had lasted nearly five decades.
- About
- Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Claim made by
- The Globe and Mail, press report
- Published
- July 2018
- Evidence score
- 31 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The report states the duration as reported fact but gives no source, byline or date on the page read. The company records checked do not state a start date. The March 2018 report says its self-inspection covered one year of shipmentsS2. The company FAQ and timeline give no starting yearS1S3. The full independent committee report in Japanese was not read, and it may hold the answer. On the records read, the five decade figure cannot be confirmed or refuted. The scale of the misconduct across divisions is documentedS2, but its length is not.
Current procedural position
Press statement of July 2018. No record read states the start date of the misconduct.
Record supporting the assessment
took place not only at the Aluminum & Copper Business but also at other divisions and Group companies
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 31 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Kobe Steel, Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 8 | 30 | The only source for the duration is an unattributed press page. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 4 | 20 | No record read addresses the duration. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 2 | 15 | No independent record confirms the figure. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 5 | 15 | The duration was not an element in any record read. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 7 | 10 | No later record on the duration was found. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 5 | 10 | The company pages are public, but the press page lacks a date and byline. |
| Total | 31 | 100 |
Timeline
- Company report covers one year of shipmentsS2
- Press reports a duration of nearly five decades
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Unverifiable.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S2Tier B Report on the Kobe Steel Group’s misconductKobe Steel, Ltd.. Commissioned report. 6 March 2018.Company report drawing on the Independent Investigation Committee's work. It does not state how long the misconduct lasted.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S1Tier B Timeline of Key EventsKobe Steel, Ltd.. Company statement. As of 11 April 2018.Company timeline from June 2016 to March 2018, including the 8 October 2017 disclosure. It does not cover the prosecution or US matters.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S3Tier B FAQsKobe Steel, Ltd.. Company statement. Updated 18 May 2018.Company answers on safety verification. It is the company's own assessment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
Other claims about Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Supported79Kobe Steel disclosed in October 2017 that its Aluminum & Copper Business had shipped products that did not meet customer specifications with falsified inspection data.Company statement, 8 October 20173 records citedProduct claims
- Partly supported53Kobe Steel said in 2018 that its safety verification had found no cases requiring immediate suspension of use or recall of customers' products.Company statement, 18 May 20182 records citedSafety
- Supported74Kobe Steel was fined 100 million yen in March 2019 for violating Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act over its product misconduct.Company statement, 13 March 20191 record citedFraud
- Supported62Kobe Steel said in July 2019 that the US Justice Department confirmed it required no further documents in its investigation of the misconduct.Company statement, 17 July 20192 records citedCorporate status