INTERNATIONAL

Japan Restates Opposition to Rice Imports: Japanese Cabinet ministers agreed to keep up opposition to any opening of Japan’s rice market, going against a proposal by the Uruguay Round of world trade talks to introduce tariffs on farm imports. “We all agreed that Japan’s interests are to be considered as well as those of the other negotiators when the talks reopen on Jan. 13,” government officials quoted Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Kato as telling reporters. On Saturday, the director-general of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Arthur Dunkel, submitted a final draft proposal on all negotiating areas to end the five-year round of talks, which aim at reducing trade barriers.