Tsunami speeds up key Japan lithium battery plant’s move to China

A Japanese factory that produces polyvinylidene fluoride substrate for 70% of the lithium-ion batteries on earth – and all the batteries for Apple’s iPad – was destroyed in the March 11 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami. Kureha Corp. says it was “already thinking about shifting some of our production to the States and China. We will now accelerate these plans."  A move will be a loss to Japan -- and ideally, the plant should remain there -- but if it must move, let's hope most of the operations come to the U.S. -- not to China.  Neither Americans nor Japanese need to be any more dependent on Chinese manufacturing than we already are.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471904576228390400576486.html