An incandescent Japan is set to complain to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about proposed restrictions on lithium-ion batteries.
According to the Taipei Times, the Japanese government has accused the South Korean government of protectionism in proposing additional safety restrictions on lithium-ion production.
The South Korean government is apparently intending to introduce rules in early July with inspectors requiring certificates before they’ll approve the use of the batteries.
Japan currently holds around a 60 percent market share in this type of batteries, widely used in notebooks, digicams and cellphones.
Foreign vendors are worried that launch of their products in the South Korean market might be delayed because of the proposed new rules.
The whole problem of lithium-ion batteries became apparent when a notebook using Sony li-ion batters spectacularly exploded at a conference in Tokyo.
