European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 29, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 17today s tip Zacatecas Mexico a four months into their discussions on a North american free Trade agreement negotiators from the United states Mexico and Canada said sunday that they were ready to begin drafting treaty language. But even As they swapped smiles and handshakes they declined to specify the areas in which they had moved closer to agreement. However a senior american Trade official who requested anonymity discussed the talks privately and acknowledged that in some areas they had run into roadblocks. A a we re not at the Point where a lot of these issues Are ready to be decided a the official  suffers 3rd-Quarter loss Denver a Manville corp. Said sunday that it lost $12.4 million in the third Quarter after recording $40 million in restructuring and other unusual charges. The former leading Asbestos maker is now a building products company. The loss came to 14 cents per share on sales of $532.7 million. In the same period last year the company earned $24.53 million or 17 cents per share on sales of $548.2 million. It was the second quarterly loss posted by Manville since it emerged from chapter 11 bankruptcy in november 1988, company spokeswoman Tricia Bergeron said. The previous loss came in its first Post bankruptcy Quarter. The company once was the worlds largest manufacturer of products containing Asbestos which has been linked to lung cancer and other severe respiratory diseases. In its 1988 bankruptcy court reorganization Manville created a Trust to compensate Asbestos disease victims. The company now Sells fibreglass insulation flooring and filtration products. Its Riverwood International corp. Subsidiary provides machinery based packaging  rates London up mondays rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was quoted at s358.25 an ounce Silver at $4.06. Oct. 25 oct 26 British pound.1.7115 1.7050 German mark.1 -7015 1-7065 French franc.5.599 51999 dutch girder.1-9121 1-9258 belgian  .35.07 35.11 .1.270.80 1.276 95 Swiss franc.1 -4895 1.4960 grwktocua.190.10 191.25 turkish lira.4,923.80 4,954.60 saudi arabian liyal.3.7503 3.7501 Spanish cassia.106.79 107.48saas== ,11 Fissa a h danish krons.6.5700 6.6185 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.67 through tuesday based on mondays noontime Price fixing. Boeing posts quarterly profit despite downturn in Industry Tokyo up a despite hard times in the airline Industry a healthy backlog in orders and reduced defense losses allowed the Boeing co. On monday to report a third Quarter profit of $401 million. The profit $1.17 per share was up 6 percent from the same period in 1990. Sales for the Quarter that ended sept. 30 were $7.65 billion. Last years third Quarter earnings were $378 million net earnings or $1.10 per share on sales of $7,176 billion. For the first nine months of 1991, the company pulled in $21.5 billion in sales and $1.16 billion in earnings or $3.39 per share. There were $20.58 billion in sales and $1.06 billion in earnings or $3.09 per share for the same period last year. Frank Shrontz Boeing chairman and chief executive officer attributed the higher performances in 1991 to increased commercial aircraft sales and lower defense and business operating losses. Increased profits were also aided by a lower effective Federal income tax rate which was partially offset by higher research and development expenses. Shrontz told company Board members meeting in Tokyo that Boeing continues to project a 1991 operating loss for its defense and space business but that it would be significantly less than the loss reported in 1990. The reduction is due to an improvement in technical Cost and schedule performance on ongoing programs and the consolidation and restructuring of the operations. The company expects the defense and space business to be profitable by 1992, Shrontz said. Despite the dire Straits of some airlines requests by airline customers to reschedule firm contract deliveries As a result of the economic slowdown continue to affect a relatively Small number of aircraft Boeing said. Thanks to a healthy backlog the delivery schedule adjustments have not disrupted the company a production rate. Orders continue to lag behind that of 1990, a sign of continued Tough times for the airline Industry. The Industry slowdown in late 1990 began with the outbreak of War in the persian Gulf and higher Jet fuel prices. Talk of Isuzu a financial troubles has kept Auto Industry officials buzzing at the sprawling Tokyo motor show which began Friday. Japanese automaker reportedly seeks financial Aid from hard hit partner pm by David e. Sanger the new York times Tokyo a As if general motors corp. Does no to have enough troubles these Days its closest partner in the japanese Auto Industry Isuzu motors ltd., is running at a huge operating loss appears ready to Jettison its president and has reportedly turned to pm for financial help. The troubles at Isuzu have been brewing for months. With pm executives pouring into Tokyo for the giant two week Tokyo motor show which started Friday the Industry has been Abuzz with talk that Isuzu is in desperate need of a bailout. General motors owns 37.5 percent of Isuzu Japan a sixth largest automaker. In a two decade relationship that has been largely at arms length executives on both sides said that Isuzu has supplied pm with some Small cars and japanese engine technology. And the japanese maker plays a key role in pm manufacturing and marketing strategies especially in Europe. But in its Home Market and in the United states Isuzu is suffering blows that it May be too Small to survive intact Many Auto executives believe. The company recently revised upward its estimate of pretax losses for the year saying Thev could reach $385 million. In the first half of 1991, the company s japanese production was Down nearly 16 percent and its exports a the main part of its business a were Down 23 percent. The japanese press has been filled with reports that Isuzu president Kazuo Toriyama will resign in january. Or he May be moved up to the Post of chairman with no operational role in the com Eany. The talk is that he will be replaced y executive vice president Kazuhira Seki. Isuzu has asked pm to help chiefly by sending experienced personnel and according to Many reports providing Money for development. Like Many second tier automakers Isuzu is finding it impossible to keep up with the need for huge capital investment to design new models and retool its factories. A it takes some courage to turn to a company that just announced a billion Dollar loss and ask them for funding a an Toyota motor co. Executive said during the Auto show