Japanese Offer Import Tariff Reductions

Japanese import tariff reduction offers at the Uruguay Round trade liberalization talks Friday fell far short of a U.S. proposal to completely abolish duties on a wide range of products.

Japan said its tariff-cutting proposal covered some 6,800 mining and industrial products and “meets the objective of one-third reductions agreed as the target of the Uruguay Round.”

Japan did say, however, that the offer could be amended depending on how the talks proceed.

The European Community had previously made a tariff-cutting offer which involved 6,709 products but which also was based on the agreed overall 30% reduction target.