Japan on Another Shopping Spree to Ease Trade Surplus
Japan today announced a list of major products, including supercomputers and airplanes, it plans to buy from Europe and the United States to help allay criticism of its huge trade surpluses.
The goods were valued at a total of $216 million--about one-fifth of a $1-billion import package announced in May.
Two ministries plan purchases of American-made supercomputers--one from Control Data Corp. valued at $19 million and the other from Cray Research Inc. for $32 million.
Japan’s shopping list also includes search-and-rescue aircraft from Dassault-Breguet of France, a contraband detection system from British Aerospace and a helicopter from France’s Aerospatiale.
Officials are negotiating with various countries over the purchase of two long-range aircraft, the biggest single expenditure of the import package.
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