U.S. Commerce Secretary William Verity will head...

U.S. Commerce Secretary William Verity will head a trade mission to Japan next month to spur sales of U.S. consumer goods.

More than 25 senior U.S. business executives will go with him on the Sept. 7-14 visit, stemming from an agreement Verity made last June with Japanese Minister for International Trade and Industry, Hajime Tamura, to increase U.S. exports to Japan.

Hajime said the Japanese trade ministry would give U.S. firms information about their markets to help them sell sporting and leisure goods, furniture, jewelry and processed foods.