Bob Dole: “victory was declared on Wednesday in the trade negotiations with Japan. But I think a lot of Americans are wondering…”

“victory was declared on Wednesday in the trade negotiations with Japan. But I think a lot of Americans are wondering ``in favor of which side?'' A lot of Americans are wondering exactly what did the United States get after years of tough talk and threats? A closer look reveals that after 2 rac{1}{2} years of negotiations, the final agreement is vague, unenforceable, non-binding--in short, it is virtually empty. Mr. President, Japanese car manufacturers apparently promised to increase production at their transplant operations in the United States. But for the most part, the promised increases may be no more than what was already planned. It is hard to see why the threat of a major trade war was necessary to persuade the Japanese to do what they already had announced. Mr. President, the U.S. negotiators claimed to have reached landmark agreements in the areas of auto parts and dealerships. But the Japanese immediately issued disclaimers, emphasizing that any commitments were not government commitments, carry no government backing, and are not enforceable. The U.S. negotiators announced an estimate of expected increases in sales of auto parts under the agreement. Incredibly, the Japanese negotiator then specifically disavowed the United States estimate. He said the United States estimate was shared ``neither by the minister himself nor by the government of Japan.'' Mr. President, it makes one wonder, who were we negotiating with?”