AUTOS

Japan Won’t Accept U.S. Deadline: Takakazu Kuriyama, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, said the two nations remain far apart following high-level meetings in Tokyo. Kuriyama’s tough talk was matched by U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor’s vow to continue insisting that Japan further open its markets to foreign autos and auto parts, the biggest point of trade friction between the two countries. Although the United States wants to conclude the negotiations by the summer, Kuriyama said: “I’m not aware of any fixed deadlines. We don’t negotiate auto trade against unilateral deadlines set by the United States.”