English/Nat U-S trade representative Mickey Kantor has been defending the decision to put 100 per cent tariffs on Japanese luxury cars imported into America. He was speaking on Monday after talks with the European Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan in Brussels. Sir Leon had earlier criticised the American action and met Kantor in an attempt to mediate in the dispute between the U-S and Japan. U-S trade chief Mickey Kantor arrived at the European Commission in Brussels Monday to discuss with his E-U counterpart, Sir Leon Brittan, the mounting tensions in the U-S auto trade dispute with Japan. Washington has threatened a 100 percent tariff on U-S imports of 13 Japanese luxury cars if Japan refuses to open up its markets to U-S autos and auto parts. Import duties on those cars currently stand at 2.5 percent. Kantor said the sanctions will take effect on 28 June if no agreement with Japan is reached. Brittan suggested there had been some movement forward during their meeting on the issues surrounding the dispute. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Kantor, Mr Fischler and myself have had a good meeting covering a huge range of issues. We have, it's been a very friendly meeting and we've made good progress. SUPERCAPTION: Sir Leon Brittan Despite the positive overtones, Brittan was furious last week with Washington's decision to unilaterally impose auto import sanctions before the dispute had been considered by the World Trade Organization. Brittan stood by his statement that the U-S decision to impose sanctions on Japanese luxury cars is an illegal act that threatens the credibility of the global trading system. SOUNDBITE: (English) I haven't anything to add to what I said last week or to subtract from it. SUPERCAPTION: Sir Leon Brittan Despite pressure from the E-U trade minister, Kantor rejected European and Japanese suggestions that the U-S sanctions against Japan are illegal. At a speech organised by the U-S Chamber of Commerce, he said restrictive Japanese policies were hurting automakers in the U-S and around the world. Kantor argued that sanctions were needed because the auto and auto parts trade sector is not fully covered by multilateral trade agreements. SOUNDBITE: (English) This kind of discrimination against foreign competitive goods made in Europe or the United States or Brazil or Australia cannot continue if we're going to maintain an open trading system. SUPERCAPTION: Mickey Kantor, US Trade Representative Kantor also relayed Washington's determination to force the Japanese to back down and to redress the huge trade imbalance between the U-S and Japan. SOUNDBITE: (English) President Clinton has made it clear time and again we're going to open the Japanese market on a M-F-N basis for auto and auto parts one way or the other. SUPERCAPTION: Mickey Kantor, US Trade Representative Kantor will join his Japanese counterpart at the ministerial meeting of the O-E-C-D scheduled to begin Tuesday in Paris. No formal meeting between the U-S and Japan has been arranged, although Kantor suggested a dialogue between the two countries was needed. SOUNDBITE: (English) There are no meetings scheduled in Paris as of now, clearly the ball is in, as we've said time and time again, in Japan's court. After 20 months in framework agreement and 35 years of discrimination it's time for Japan to react and to act soon. SUPERCAPTION: Mickey Kantor, US Trade Representative This row over access to Japan's market for automobiles and auto parts is turning into an international standoff that some fear will further damage relations between Tokyo and Washington. Kantor said it was time for Japan to respond. SOUNDBITE: (English) You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4066007e1f0537a25577bc39487cf604 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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