Panasonic to shift some battery production

Panasonic Corp. is considering ending lithium-ion battery production at its
factory in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, by the end of next March and
shifting output to other domestic factories and to China, Kyodo News
reported Wednesday, citing company sources.

The Moriguchi factory will specialize in research and development following
the consolidation of production bases for lithium-ion batteries, used in
mobile phones and computers, according to the sources.

The Moriguchi factory has served as Panasonic's main site for battery
production since starting production of dry-cell batteries in 1933. It began
producing lithium-ion batteries in 1994, the first of the group's factories
to do so.