[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 10 (Monday, February 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                STRONG TRADE AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN NEEDED

  (Mr. BARCA of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARCA of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking, because on 
Friday, Prime Minister Hosokawa is scheduled to come to the United 
States to meet with President Clinton to further discuss the need to 
open markets in Japan for American-made products. In fact, as we speak, 
the trade negotiators from the United States and Japan are meeting 
together trying to establish a final agreement and to set the framework 
for those talks on Friday.
  Mr. Speaker, today I want to emphasize the need for us to negotiate a 
strong trade agreement prior to February 11, this Friday, when those 
talks begin. Our trade deficit with Japan has been more than $50 
billion in 1992, and does not look any more encouraging for 1994. But 
we can begin by taking a positive step with these agreements being put 
in place prior to the Friday meeting that is going to take place.
  The Clinton administration has set a requirement that there be 
concrete benchmarks for achieving products. I believe our colleagues 
here in Congress support this effort. Myself and the gentlewoman from 
Ohio [Ms. Kaptur] are circulating a letter to call for exactly those 
kinds of concrete benchmarks to be established and to call for a solid 
agreement prior to the talks on Friday.

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