Trade Sanctions Against Japan

As an alternative or in addition to higher tariffs on Japanese autos, how about applying Pentagon procurement regulations to the importation of Japanese products in general?

These requirements could include on-site inspections; certifications that labor was paid at least U.S. minimum wages for all components, including supplier’s components; testing certifications for all electronic parts and chemical certifications for metallic parts, and that no components were manufactured with slave labor or under conditions that would constitute human-rights violations.

I am sure that the Pentagon bureaucrats could promulgate regulations that would make the Japanese quickly open their markets. Why not solve the trade problem by doing the things we do best?

CHARLES MARTIN

Fallbrook

Regarding James Baker’s summary of the U.S.-Japan trade problem (Opinion, May 14): I was stunned at his arrogance and selective memory in criticizing the current Administration for “talking down” the dollar. As secretary of state, he may have coined the term “global partnership,” but as secretary of the Treasury in 1985 he made talking down the dollar into a high art form, and was generally praised for this by the media and business.

DOUGLAS MATTHEWS

San Diego

I know that President Clinton has turned outward in his efforts to prove himself, but a trade war with Japan? Get real. How many cars and trucks do we really expect a country the size of Florida or smaller to buy, especially when they already make the best cars in the world? And then there’s the factor of pride. The Japanese have it, they’ll buy their own cars because they have pride. And that’s the real problem--we’ve lost our pride. If we could only become one nation of Americans again, we wouldn’t need the President out there huffing and puffing and threatening to blow the Japanese car companies down. We’d be buying our own cars and we’d be proud of the work we do just as the Japanese are proud of theirs.

What’s our modus operandi instead? We price their cars out of the market with tariffs, and how do our auto companies respond? I hear they’re going to raise the prices of our cars too. When this happens, Mr. President, you won’t be receiving accolades, but a lot of people will feel like tar-and-feathering you.

The real money is in space. The resources of the future reside there. Let’s focus on mining the universe--that’s where the jobs are going to be created, both here, in building the means and out there in doing it, and that’s where we’re ahead at the moment. If we keep squabbling over cars and radios and let somebody beat us out there, any hope of this country taking a lead in the world will have been lost.

RON J. BADGER

Glendale

The Japanese government has refused to buy American rice, and the Japanese people have had to eat expensive rice for decades--but they haven’t complained, because they are patriotic. To balance our trade deficit, we should educate our people to buy American goods, instead of begging the Japanese to buy our goods.

K.C. WU

Westminster

Now that Japan’s luxury cars will have a 100% increase in tariff fees, one wonders whatever happened to the ballyhoo about free trade.

MAX SHULDINER

Los Angeles