[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       TRADE IMBALANCE WITH JAPAN

  (Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, today U.S. Trade Representative 
Mickey Kantor is meeting with Japanese Trade Representative Hashimoto 
in Canada to discuss United States auto sales in Japan. Last year, as 
in previous years, the largest share of our trade imbalance with Japan 
was in the automotive sector. In 1994, this imbalance was about $37 
billion and represented 56 percent of our total trade deficit with 
Japan.
  Japan has the second largest auto market in the world, but has by far 
the lowest sales of imported cars and trucks of all industrialized 
nations that manufacture cars.
  General Motors has been building cars in the Third District of Kansas 
since the late 1940's, and I hope they will be there for another 50 
years. But to ensure the success of our domestic automobile 
manufacturers, we must gain access to the second largest auto market in 
the world.
  Right now Japanese auto makers hold 22 percent of the United States 
market, while the United States ``Big Three'' has only 1 percent of the 
Japanese market. United States Trade Representative Kantor should take 
all steps necessary to level this playing field with Japan. So long as 
this automotive imbalance exists, we will never be able to reduce our 
trade deficit with Japan.

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