U.S. Claims New Pledges by Japan to Open Markets : But Still No Agreement, Officials Say

The Reagan Administration today said Japan has made “new commitments on trade issues,” but officials indicated that there is still no agreement on efforts to persuade the Japanese to open their markets to U.S. goods.

On Capitol Hill, angry lawmakers were preparing legislation that would impose quotas and tariffs on Japanese products coming into the United States if Japan does not lower trade barriers.

President Reagan met at the White House with two envoys he sent to Tokyo over the weekend in a last-ditch attempt to prod Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and other officials into making trade concessions.

After the meeting, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the envoys told Reagan that “the government of Japan made new commitments on trade issues. The President welcomes this development,” he added.

An Administration official, speaking on condition that he not be identified, said Gaston Sigur, a National Security Council member specializing on Japanese issues, and Lionel H. Olmer, undersecretary of commerce for international trade, delivered a letter from Reagan to Nakasone on Sunday.

‘Definite . . . Strong Push’

“The special envoys to Prime Minister Nakasone made it plain, as we have in the past, that we do face a definite and strong push from Congress of protectionist sentiment,” the official said.

He added that the Japanese were told that Reagan wants to be able to tell Congress “that there is a good-faith effort on the part of the Japanese and that we do have something to show for it.”

The official also said the envoys presented some ideas for breaking the logjam over trade issues, but he declined to say there were any breakthroughs.

“The President will review the results of the Tokyo visit with members of the Cabinet,” members of Congress and business leaders, Speakes said.

Last year, Japan sent the United States nearly $37 billion more in goods than it imported, and some members of Congress are criticizing the Administration for not doing enough to end the imbalance.

Same Access Sought

The Administration, in its talks with Tokyo, has been seeking to give U.S. firms the same access to the Japanese market that Japanese companies have in the United States.

Japan’s telecommunications monopoly became a private company today, and officials from both countries have been trying to negotiate accords that would make it easier for U.S. firms to sell telecommunications products in Japan. That country’s tobacco monopoly also became a private company today.

Administration officials, members of Congress and others have said the outcome of the telecommunications talks will be a standard by which to measure Japanese willingness to open its markets for other goods.

In Tokyo today, Nakasone told officials to try to meet U.S. demands for greater access to the Japanese market. He also suggested a campaign to encourage Japanese citizens to buy more foreign goods.

But Nakasone--who has indicated that his government will announce a package of market-opening measures April 9--has encountered resistance from some Japanese firms and political factions.