| JAPAN GIVEN LITTLE HOPE OF AVOIDING U.S. SANCTIONS | |
| A top U.S. Official said Japan has little | |
| chance of persuading the U.S. to drop threatened trade | |
| sanctions, despite the efforts of a Japanese team that left for | |
| Washington today. | |
| Michael Armacost, Under Secretary of State for Political | |
| Affairs, was asked at a press conference whether Japan's moves | |
| to boost its domestic economy and open its markets could | |
| persuade the U.S. Not to impose tariffs on Japanese imports | |
| said, and replied: "...It is probably too early for the figures | |
| to demonstrate that the situation has turned around and to | |
| permit the result you have described." | |
| Armacost said the U.S. Hopes Japan will take steps to lift | |
| its domestic economy and reduce dependence on exports, remove | |
| barriers to imports and settle outstanding trade issues. | |
| "There are obvious problems at the moment in the trade area, | |
| but we do not wish those problems to divert attention from | |
| important areas of cooperation that continue to exist on | |
| security and political issues," he said. | |
| "The question is whether through cooperative actions between | |
| our governments we can reduce the (trade) imbalance or whether | |
| Congress takes action to reduce it through protectionist | |
| legislation," he said. | |