AAMA President and CEO Issues Statement in Response to Comments by Japan's Ambassador to the United States

30 July 1997

    WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The following statement was issued by
Andrew H. Card, Jr., President and CEO of the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association, in response to comments by Kunihiko Saito, Japan's
ambassador to the United States, that U.S. criticisms of Japan's automotive
trade policies are "groundless and regrettable."

    "Auto exports from Japan have surged, U.S. auto exports to Japan have
declined, and the opening of Japan's automobile dealer network has stalled.
Most significantly, Japan's trade surplus with the United States and the rest
of the world is once again a growing problem.  U.S.-Japan automotive trade
relations are deteriorating.
    "We are concerned that the Japanese Government's commitment to opening its
market to imported autos and auto parts has disappeared.
    "Just two years after the 1995 bilateral auto agreement and following
serious efforts by American and other importers to expand sales in Japan, we
seem to be headed right back to where we started.  The Japanese Government
appears to be sliding into its old pattern of protecting its market and
denying Japanese consumers greater vehicle choices, unwilling or unable to
take seriously its commitment to market opening.
    "Rather than denying the obvious, the Japanese Government should be
working to guarantee its consumers the kinds of choices and opportunities
enjoyed by consumers in other nations."

SOURCE  American Automobile Manufacturers Association