European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 22, 1987 the stars and stripes. Page 3 on Trade Pitfalls . Hopeful folks will bring Patching up of differences Washington a while House officials arc suggesting that the japanese must Patch up their Trade differences with the United slates or risk giving impetus to a growing protectionist sentiment in Congress. On the eve of president Reagan meeting with former japanese foreign minister Shintaro Abe vice Percsi Delgeorge Bush and chief of staff Howard Hbaker said they doubled the japanese could win any Quick reversal of the presi Dent s decision to impose $300 million in punitive tariffs on japanese electronic products. Abe an emissary of japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone came to Washington with the dual purpose of get Ting the tariffs lifted and setting up Nakasone s visit to Washington next week the former japanese foreign minister met with Bush monday then Lold report in that we should Settle the Matte through Friendly talks not through confrontation or sanctions or  Bui Baker talking to reporters accompanying Reagan Back to Washington aboard air Force one on monday said Reagan s april 30 meeting with Naka Sone ought to be More than just Friendship  and Bush said he did l know whether it was possible to get the sanctions lifted although he said Here was no deadline for resolving the Mailer. Administration officials Are concerned about the growing possibility that an amendment to Trade legislation before the House sponsored by rep Richard Gephardt d-mo., will get enacted by the Congress the Gephardt amendment would re quire the government to take punitive action against Japan and other countries judged to have excess Trade surpluses Wile the United slates by virtue of unfair trading practices. In a speech in disc Japan Over the weekend House majority Leader Thom As Foley  that the Gep Hardt amendment is Likely to pass con Gress by an overwhelming margin. On monday Baker said the japanese Are capable of moving with lightning rapidity to Case Trade tensions with the United slates. Abe is pretty Well tuned Inlo .politics," Baker said. He has a better understanding of the relationship of Congress to Trade policy. So i think hell take seriously the statements of Foley Baker added. Asked about the possibility that Japan will yield in the talks on the semiconductor Issue Baker said i Hope so. I Don know that. But i Hope they come up with measures that would ease the tensions reduce the likelihood of a protectionist Trade Bill and even permit the president to rescind his recent proc Lama japanese foreign minister Shintaro Abe talks with Viet president George Bush. Lion on  Abe s talks on monday included a ses Sion with Secretary of state George p. Suite followed by an informal social hour at the stale department to which Treasury Secretary James a. Baker was invited. A . Official speaking on condition he not be identified said Abe sought to assure the americans that Japan was pre pared to Lake Steps aimed at improving consumption measures that presume ptl0 Bly would stimulate japanese purchases of foreign goods the official said however he was pessimistic that any key issues would be re solved before Nakasone s visit. The administration after a wide rang ing series of hearings and internal de Bates within various agencies Institute last Friday a 100 percent Tariff on some japanese manufactured Lap top an desk top computers some television Sels in the Ifi-Lo-20-Inch screen category an certain powered hand tools. Badr be in China for discuss on on Export curbs Beijing up Commerce Secretary Mal Colm Baldrige began a four Day visit tuesday amid complaints by Beijing that Washington is failing to Lake sufficient Steps to ease controls on High technology  Transfer will be one of the important issues to be discussed in the next few Days Baldrige told reporters at Beijing s Capi Tal Airport on his arrival from , who was met by his chinese counterpart Zheng Tobin downplayed Beijing complaint that Washington has failed to take sufficient Steps to relax controls on the Export of High technology what China is not getting is on the fringe areas Baldrige said. His arrival coincided with the publication of commentary by the Beijing review Magazine that said much remains to be done to show that Washington is taking appropriate Concrete actions to ease Export  Magazine welcomed a recent proposal by Baldrige for the relaxation of Export restrictions but it insisted thai obstacles to the development of sino-. Technology Trade still  accused Washington of approving technology sates Only in Light of what it thought Chin itself could produce,1 and of delaying approval until More advanced technology Lias appeared and the technology China bought had become relatively  officials say Washington has failed to exert sufficient influence Over is partners in the Paris based coordinating committee for Export control Cocom to remove China from the Liston communist countries for which certain High technology exports must be  Baldrige told reporters the Cocom listed kinds of Export controls Are just a fraction of the technology the United slates is transferring la China by other Means like joint ventures and  Japan again snubs . Request agricultural import curbs cease Tokyo up agriculture Secretary Richar Lyng failed again tuesday to Budge japanese officials on opening up agricultural imports and warned thai Japan appears oblivious to very explosive Trade sentiment in the United Stales. In remarks at the Japan National press club after his third Day of talks with japanese officials Lyng said he hoped to avoid threats but he warned hat Japan s refusal la drop barriers to agricultural imports is seen in Washington As a Symbol of the Overall Trade prob Lem. The purpose of this trip is to emphasize Oil fact that patience is beginning to become very much frayed in Washington and i can t emphasize that enough i Lyng said. I have a feeling they have not in Japan fully understood the difference in the atmosphere now he said. There Isa radically changed situation and it is very  in his talks Lyng again was unable to win move ment on . Demands that Japan agree to negotiate an opening of its Rice Market and an end to a ban on Rice imports. Japanese agriculture minister Misuki Kalo eve branded the request strange saying that the More proper forum would be upcoming International irad talks under the general agreement on tariffs and Trade. The japanese also have resisted Lyng s demands for Swift removal of import restrictions on beef oranges and other food products. Lyng said there is a Good Chance that the House of representatives will approve a Trade Bill requiring the president to retaliate against Japan and other countries that do not reduce Trade surpluses with the United stoles. Visiting House majority Leader Thomas Foley d-wash., told prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in a my filing tuesday that he provision will pass Possi Bly at the time Nakasone visits Washington this month rms Iliili .-Jaoan Trade we Are perhaps on the verge of some very harsh mandatory retaliation Laws which would have very serious problems for Trade relation ships Between the United Stales and Oiher countries especially Japan Lyng said. Washington also has sought to place agricultural issues notably Rice at the top of the Agenda in Ibe upcoming Oatt talks Japan has refused. We were Dis appointed in talk ing about the Inu $90 80 70 60 so 40 30 20 10 o 19 Proi of Adevai Lions of Donara to 3$ffcj/ 1 Ilu Mutl a Piffl s / / a u,3. Port to Japan 79 to 81 82 83 64 65 86 actions Jott Buno Cliart suck Jim  in idiot com Nam when the japanese viewpoint was expressed that there should be no fast track for agriculture thai it should be a slow crop and a Long Harvest Lyng said. The japanese have made Clear they will not Liber Alize Rice restrictions maintaining a policy of total self sufficiency. The government has Long pampered the powerful Domestic Rice growers lobby with the import ban and heavy subsidies. There will be no bilateral talks at this stage and Weill stick to our stance Kato told reporters after the meeting with Lyng. He criticized the United states for being stubborn in insisting that Japan open its markets to . Farm produce when he said the . Share of the japanese food Market has grown steadily