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EU supports Japan

stance on US chip pact

KOBE, Japan: European Union Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan told Japan's Trade Minister Shunpei Tsukahara on Friday that he strongly supports Japan's stance of not extending its current semiconductor trade pact with the United States, a Japanese trade ministry official told reporters.

Brittan and Tsukahara met for bilateral talks on Friday ahead of four-party trade meetings to be held by representatives from Japan, the United States, the EU and Canada this weekend in Kobe.

The two trade chiefs said they wanted to discuss the issue of global telecommunications liberalisation, and abolition of tariffs on all information technology products, including semiconductors, at the quadrilateral talks, the official said.

"Brittan said he could strongly support Japan's position of opposing an extension of the bilateral chip pact with the other quad members ways of realising the so-called Information Technology Agreement (ITA). The ITA is a U.S. proposal for an agreement to abolish tariffs in information technology products. Washington wants to eliminate duties on all such products between the quad members by 2000, and later include other countries which to participate.-Reuter