Blame Strong Dollar for Low Beef Exports

I beg to differ with “Asia Provides Odd Mixture of Memories” (John F. Lawrence, June 23), which says but for the import restrictions, the Japanese would eat our beef more cheaply. Had the restrictions been withdrawn today, the American beef would be driven out of the Japanese market by cheaper beef from Australia and New Zealand. Secondly, unlike us, the Japanese are not a meat-eating nation. So, if they were to consume more of American beef, it would also mean a decline in our chicken and pork exports to Japan.

In this context, perhaps it is not out of place to remind ourselves once again of the damage done to our exports by the strong dollar. That rogue has raised our import of live hogs from Canada by 195% in 1984 and this year by 97% so far.

CHITRA CHAKRABORTY

Claremont