
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 27, 1990                   TAG: 9003270199
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A/3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TOKYO                                LENGTH: Short

JAPANESE LAWMAKERS RESIST TRADE DEMANDS

Japanese lawmakers meeting with Washington officials today balked at American demands they enact broad economic reforms to help shrink the $49 billion U.S. trade deficit with Japan.

In trade talks last week, U.S. officials urged Japan to revise land-use policies, streamline its retail distribution system and increase government spending in order to boost consumption of imports.

Lawmakers attending the breakfast meeting said U.S. Embassy officials were told the reforms would be difficult to achieve quickly.

At Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu's request, the Japanese government has drawn up proposals aimed at meeting the U.S. requests made during the ongoing trade talks. In remarks to Parliament, Japanese officials have said the reforms should be undertaken for the sake of Japanese consumers.

But some leaders of the governing Liberal Democratic Party are less conciliatory toward the United States, said party lawmaker Takujiro Hamada, who chaired today's meeting.

"The parliamentarians said resistance to the reforms was very strong in their constituencies," Hamada said.

Japan says problems on the U.S. side contribute to the trade imbalance.

In the latest round of trade talks last week, Japan suggested the United States raise taxes, wean itself from energy-wasting cars and limit the use of credit cards, the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

by CNB