Japan Hopeful of Semiconductor Accord

Japan’s minister of international trade and industry said Wednesday that he and U.S. Trade Representative Clayton K. Yeutter have agreed on steps that could lead to a new understanding of a bilateral agreement on trade involving semiconductors and the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Japan by mid-May.

After a three-hour meeting with Yeutter, the minister, Hajime Tamura, told reporters that he had written a statement and that Yeutter had agreed with it.

The statement says U.S. and Japanese experts will reopen consultations in Washington, next week or the week after, aimed at clearing up discrepancies in the way the two sides interpret Japan’s obligation under the agreement, which was signed Sept. 2.

He said Yeutter also agreed that officials of the two countries will meet in mid-May to compare data on the sale of Japanese-made semiconductors in third-country markets and the sale of U.S. semiconductors in Japan. The United States has accused Japan of dumping semiconductors in third countries.

‘No Assurance’

“The rail has been laid,” Tamura said, “although there is no assurance that the train will arrive at the station on time.”

But he said he is confident that the comparison of third-country data will result in withdrawal of the punitive tariffs that President Reagan imposed Friday on Japanese television sets, rotary drills and personal computers.

Tamura gave the text of the statement as follows:

“Concerning the U.S.-Japan semiconductor agreement, to solve problems in the measures taken by the U.S. government and problems in discrepancies of interpretation of the agreement, first, consultations between experts will be reopened next week or in the following week. Second, in mid-May, when data on sales of American semiconductors in Japan and on third-country markets becomes available for April, both countries will meet to compare their data. Data provided by both countries must be convincing. Through the above measures, we will seek an early solution to this problem.”

Tamura Quotes Yeutter

Yeutter, he told the press, complimented the Japanese government for its “great effort” to end dumping in third countries.

“I suppose there must be an improvement in third-country markets, but that must be proved in concrete data,” he quoted Yeutter as saying. Neither Yeutter nor any other U.S. official could be reached for comment late Wednesday.

But at a news conference before meeting with Tamura, Yeutter said the United States will lift sanctions on Japan “as soon as we have firm and continuing evidence that dumping in third-country markets has stopped and that access to the Japanese market has improved. Our hope is that the government of Japan will, as soon as possible, take the necessary steps to see that these conditions are met.”

Tamura said nothing about providing “continuing” evidence, nor did he mention any new steps planned by the Japanese government.

Private Meeting

He and Yeutter met privately, with only interpreters present, for an hour and 40 minutes. Other officials then joined them for an additional hour and 20 minutes.

President Reagan imposed the sanctions in retaliation for Japan’s failure to end dumping of semiconductors in third-country markets and its failure to increase purchases of American-made semiconductors.

Japanese trade officials insist that their agreement with the United States does not contain any obligation for Japan to control prices in third-country markets.