Videos concession?

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 18

Videos concession?

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo Japanese manufacturers of videotape recorders were prepared to limit exports to the European Community to help ease trade friction, electronics industry sources said yesterday. The sources said that in return the manufacturers wanted Japan’s Ministry of Trade and Industry to push hard in trade talks for an end to French import restrictions on their products. They also wanted European makers of the recorders to

drop an action charging them with selling recorders below cost in Europe. The industry sources estimate that Europe last year imported 4M Japanese recorders. one of 10 exports Japan will be asked to restrain when the vice-presi-dents of the EEC. Mr Wilhelm Haferkamp. responsible for external relations.' and Viscount Davignon. responsible for industrial affairs, meet Japan's Trade Minister. Mr Sadanoii Yamanaka. This is one of a series of meetings in Tokyo this week between Japanese Ministers and Community officials, the United States Trade representative, Mr William Brock, and the Canadian Minister of State for International Trade, Mr Gerald Regan. France has forced all imports of video recorders to be cleared at a customs post in the town of Poitiers, creating delays and causing Matsushita Electric Industrial, Japan’s biggest producer, to stop sending one brand to France. EEC diplomatic sources said yesterday that although the Community has no jurisdiction over France's action or the dumping suit, both could be dropped if the

Japanese moderated their exports. The United States. Europe and Canada all want Japan to restrict its exports to ease pressure on their domestic industries. The EEC has called for export restraint on video recorders. cars, light commercial vehicles, motor-cycles, machine tools. forklift trucks, colour television sets and tubes, audio equipment, and quartz watches. At present. Japan practises a number of self-res-traints, including a ceiling on car exports to the United States of 1.68 M a year under a two-year agreement, which will end next month. The United States and Japan will use this week's meetings to negotiate a third year of restraint but Japan has ruled out extending the agreement to four years.' The trade talks end on Friday with a round table discussion between Mr Haferkamp, Mr Yamanaka. Mr Regan, and Mr Brock. Japanese trade officials said that they hoped the earlier bilateral meetings would clear the air on specific issues so the four could discuss the world economy in general terms.