Toshiba was barred from exporting semiconductors to 27 restricted export destinations with a duration of one calendar month from December 24 1993 to January 23 this year. The ban was imposed by the Japanese authorities as punishment for breaking high technology export restrictions. It is unlikely to have had much impact on manufacturers in Eastern Europe since few are involved in sub-board- level assembly. The case arose after documents from the former East Germany were uncovered by Japanese journalists, forcing the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry to investigate Toshiba’s alleged exports. The firm was found to have been selling semiconductor technology to the East Germany government between December 1986 and February 1987. Trade & Industry officials say Toshiba exported masks and 150 silicon wafers as well as documents enabling the Germans to make memory chips. The biggest market temporarily closed to Toshiba was China.
