The nuclear power plants in Japan have had reactors go critical more than once in the last couple days, and the Japanese are so baffled by what to do next they have given up for the time being. This is significant because if the crisis currently occurring at these power plants continues unabated it could cause nuclear fallout to reach the US. In addition to the environmental consequences the fact that Japan is now going to experience a severely diminished production capacity, this will effect the US and China most severely.

The lack of production in Japan will mean a decreased need for the precious minerals in China, this could go on to affect China's overall GDP. Many of the electronics sold in American stores could become scarce in the near future as many Japanese factories stand abandoned. Even the mighty city of Tokyo is experiencing a mass exodus of citizens that are fearing the possible negative effects of fallout blowing down into the city. The situation has been likened to a riot or catastrophe, not in terms of violence but in terms of desperation where leaving the city is concerned. This all spells out a lack of confidence in the nation of Japan and its economy, this will inevitably have a large impact on the JPY.

The Japanese government has become so desperate that they have begun using helicopters to dump water onto the reactors in an attempt to cool down the fuel rods. The USD, JPY, Yuan and possibly the AUD all stand to suffer greatly if the situation in Japan continues to worsen. Other nations have begun to invest in the Japanese effort to clean up the situation, the possible environmental implications of this incident remain unknown, however scientists have declared this could end up being a nuclear disaster as great as any we have ever seen.