United States--Japan Trade: Issues and Problems

From 1976 to 1978, the deficit in U.S. trade with Japan grew two and a half times, from $5.3 billion to $11.6 billion. Total Japanese world trade between 1975 and 1978 showed mounting surpluses, while the United States experienced growing deficits in that category. Trade figures available for 1979 suggested that the U.S. world trade deficit was decreasing; showed substantial reduction in the U.S. deficit with Japan; and indicated a sharp decrease in Japan's global trade surplus. GAO examined the broad underlying factors affecting both countries' world trade posture and used case studies from the computer, automobile, telecommunication, color television, machine and tool, log and lumber, and soybean industries to illustrate the corporate experiences of U.S. firms attempting to market in Japan.