Jan Meyers: “Today U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor is meeting with Japanese Trade Representative Hashimoto in Canada to…”

“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.”