JAPAN WARNS U.S. IT MAY RETALIATE IN TRADE DISPUTE
Japan warned the United States it may
take retaliatory measures if the United States imposes its
planned trade sanctions on April 17, a senior government
official said.
    Shinji Fukukawa, Vice Minister of the International Trade
and Industry Ministry, said in a statement Japan would consider
measures under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and
other actions if the United States imposes 100 pct tariffs on
some Japanese exports as planned next week.
    However, Fukukawa said Japan was ready to continue trade
talks with the United States despite its failure to convince
America to call off the threatened tariffs during two days of
emergency talks which ended in Washington yesterday.
    Last month President Reagan announced the sanctions in
retaliation for what he called Japan's failure to honour a July
1986 agreement to stop dumping computer microchips in markets
outside the United States and to open its home market to
American goods.
    Fukukawa said the United States had regrettably not
listened to Japan's explanation of its efforts to live up the
pact and said Washington had not given any detailed explanation
of why it planned to impose the tariffs.
 REUTER
