IV
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 141
Expressing the sense of the House regarding United States-Japan trade.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 9, 1995
Mr. LEVIN (for himself and Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House regarding United States-
Japan trade.
Whereas the United States and Japan have a long and im-
portant relationship which serves as an anchor of peace
and stability in the Pacific region;
Whereas tension exists in an otherwise normal and friendly
relationship between the United States and Japan be-
cause of persistent and large trade deficits which are the
result of practices and regulations which have substan-
tially blocked legitimate access of American products to
the Japanese market;
Whereas the current account trade deficit with Japan in
1994 reached an historic high level of $66 billion, of
which $37 billion, or 56 percent, is attributed to imbal-
HRES 141 IH
ances in automotive sector, and of which $12.8 billion is
attributable to auto parts flows;
Whereas, in July 1993, the administration reached a broad
accord with the Government of Japan, which established
automotive trade regulations as one of 5 priority areas
for negotiations, to seek market-opening arrangements
based on objective criteria and which would result in ob-
jective progress;
Whereas a healthy American automobile industry is of central
importance to the American economy, and to the capabil-
ity of the United States to fulfill its commitments to re-
main as an engaged, deployed, Pacific power;
Whereas, after 18 months of negotiations with the Japanese,
beginning in September 1993, the United States Trade
Representative concluded that no progress had been
achieved, leaving the auto parts market in Japan ‘‘vir-
tually closed’’;
Whereas, in October 1994, the United States initiated an in-
vestigation under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
into the Japanese auto parts market, which could result
in the imposition of trade sanctions on a variety of Japa-
nese imports into the United States unless measurable
progress is made in penetrating the Japanese auto parts
market;
Whereas the latest round of United States-Japan negotia-
tions on automotive trade, in Whistler, Canada, collapsed
in failure on May 5, 1995, and the United States Trade
Representative, Ambassador Kantor, stated the ‘‘govern-
ment of Japan has refused to address our most fun-
damental concerns in all areas’’ of automotive trade, and
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that ‘‘discrimination against foreign manufacturers of
autos and auto parts continues’’; and
Whereas President Clinton stated, on May 5, 1995, that the
United States is ‘‘committed to taking strong action’’ re-
garding Japanese imports into the United States if no
agreement is reached: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House that—
(1) the House regrets that negotiations between
the United States and Japan for sharp reductions in
the trade imbalances in automotive sales and parts,
through elimination of restrictive Japanese market-
closing practices and regulations, have collapsed; and
(2) the House therefore strongly supports the
decision by the President to Impose trade sanctions
on Japanese products in accordance with section
301 of the Trade Act of 1974 unless an acceptable
accord with Japan is reached in the interim that
renders such action unnecessary.
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