The CEO of Kobe Steel, Japan's third-largest steelmaker, has announced that he will be resigning to take responsibility for a data fraud scandal that affected hundreds of clients worldwide. <br /> Following a prolonged apologetic bow, Hiroya Kawasaki said Tuesday that he will step down on April 1st.<br />His successor is to be named in the near future. <br />The firm admitted last year that it supplied products with false strength and quality data to about 500 customers, throwing global supply chains into turmoil.<br />U.S. consumers filed a class action lawsuit earlier this week - the first complaint to be filed in America for an issue that started in the 1970s. <br />
