U.S.-Japan Trade Relations

U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor briefed the media and took questions on Japan’s package of economic reform measures. He indicated the measures do not meet the concerns the President raised on February 11 during his meeting with Prime Minister Hosokawa. “The package of measures is of limited substance and appears to be half-finished work. There appears to be agreement in Japan that the plan does not present concrete steps toward resolving the issues raised by President Clinton,” he said. Kantor added that the Administration is not discouraged, that the Japanese government has described this as a first step, and that the Administration sees this current economic package as a work in progress. Kantor indicated that the United States will continue to work closely with Japan at the GATT, in APEC, and on other economic, security, and strategic issues. close