1990 Reports

Section 301 and the U.S. Japan economic relationship: Reflections on Kuroda

Patrick, Hugh T.

My purposes here are first, to comment on some of the specific issues raised by Makoto Kuroda, former MITI Vice-Minister for International Economic Relations, and, second, to expand on them by making several more general comments on the political economy of the U.S.- Japan economic relationship. I argue that while Kuroda makes a number of valid and important points, he is (perhaps self-servingly) optimistic, and ignores the broader political economy realities of the bilateral relationship which have shaped the passage and implementation of Super-301.