[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       UNITED STATES-JAPAN AUTOMOTIVE AND AUTO PARTS NEGOTIATIONS

  (Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an 
extremely important issue facing the automotive and auto parts 
industry. The United States-Japan framework talks were initiated in 
July 1993, but no agreement has been reached in these critical areas 
which amount to 60 percent of the United States bilateral deficit with 
Japan. Now these 1993 talks are only part of an effort that is now 10 
years long to deal with very substantial nontariff barriers that Japan 
throws up to American auto parts and American automobiles even though 
that is the biggest item of our bilateral deficit. In recent years, as 
a result of these talks and all of the efforts that have been made, 
yes, Japan has increased the purchase of American parts, but only for 
those factories that produce in America.
  Mr. Speaker, if we are to maintain a strong industrial base in 
America, we must be able to export quality, cost-competitive United 
States auto parts and automobilies everywhere in the world, even to 
Japan, and I strongly support the need for a negotiated agreement with 
Japan and support our United States Trade Representative, Mickey 
Kantor, in his efforts.

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