politics

Japan, U.S. hold 'frank and good' trade talks: Motegi

15 Comments
By David Lawder

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

15 Comments
Login to comment

@Jamc, you inadvertently validate my own argument whilst simultaneously skewering your own. I have no doubt that Korean cars are very good. Indeed, one of their, in your words, “top manufacturing” companies (Daewoo) just happens to be a fully owned subsidiary of General Motors. For some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, Japanese garages are strangely bereft of those quality vehicles.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

“Japan doesn't want to compromise on farm products and can't accept auto export restriction."

Tone deafness will get you nowhere!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If you left autos and weapons out of it, there would be a far more even trade balance. And if that happened, they'd be able to more effectively concentrate on food, which in Japan is ridiculously priced.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

oyatoi, I get a better vehicle and better service at a Japanese car dealer. It is a vehicle that was made from the ground up for service in Japan. Then there is the lack of a dealer network for the American brand cars. Oh Ford is pulling out of the Japanese market thus the current owners are just out of luck.

Trump is wrong it is the American brands that refuse to adapt to the Japanese market. Japanese vehicle makers conformed to the American market.

This makes sense as people in the U.S. don't rely heavily on the licensed dealer to do their car repair or maintenance. Most do it themselves, have family who can, or use local repair shops, etc.

It still bewilders me that people can't see that if Ford, GM, etc. never had a chance to set a foothold in Japan because of high tarrifs, how does anyone expect Japanese people to even know if they like/want to try a product when they haven't had equal exposure?

Japan Auto wrecked the native U.S. auto industry, inadvertently, and just know it is finally being addressed. The one good thing that Trump has done since he's been in office--despite your personal feelings about the guy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

“Trump is wrong it is the American brands that refuse to adapt to the Japanese market. Japanese vehicle makers conformed to the American market.”

YuriOtani, you just don’t get it do you! Or should I say, you just don’t want to get it. Japanese people choose Japanese cars, NOT because they have any real choice in the matter, but because that’s the way things have been organized for them in furtherance of an industrial policy designed to favor Japanese manufacturers and penalize outsiders. Relentless social conditioning impresses upon your countrymen that it is their patriotic duty to buy Japanese wherever possible. In order to deflect foreign criticism, the drawbridge is lowered just enough to allow a token few (mainly German) foreign cars in. Such largesse is purely expedient, done not out of any sense of fairness and belief in reciprocity, but simply out of a justified fear that unfettered access to markets overseas is not likely to continue if foreign firms are not afforded similar access here.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No matter how much evidence you provide to the contrary, Japanese people refuse to believe that the big two American auto makers are in the business of making anything but gas guzzling, inferior quality behemoths that could not possibly have any appeal to consumers here. Incontrovertible evidence of American automotive excellence in the form of healthy foreign market shares (both left and right hand drive), attesting to competitive pricing and performance, is swatted away with arrogant contempt. For the first time in a long time, we have a Commander-in-Chief who isn’t afraid to challenge the cherished illusion and who wants to put an end to Japan’s elitist inspired beggar thy neighbor industrial policy and replace it with something more sustainable.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

yuriotani: Simply more deflection. Nobody is talking about forcing your countrymen to buy American. The point I made and which you refuse to address, because you simply have no come back against it, is that consumers here are severely circumscribed in the exercise of their right to freely choose. You can pretend all you like that there is no manipulation and distortion of markets, no cartel like maneuvering to erect strategic barriers against foreign cars, manufactured goods, and agricultural products. The evidence however is overwhelming. No matter how good foreign products are, your betters have decided that it’s too dangerous to allow the exercise of free choice to any significant degree. A comparison with Germany is instructive. As you can see in the link below, the market there is far more hospitable to imported cars than Japan’s. Time to get off your high horse and start engaging with the reality based community.

https://www.best-selling-cars.com/germany/2016-full-year-germany-best-selling-car-manufacturers-brands/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dont let Japan be run over by the orange buffoon and his hormone laden, gene manipulated junk "food" ...

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

oyatoi, I get a better vehicle and better service at a Japanese car dealer. It is a vehicle that was made from the ground up for service in Japan. Then there is the lack of a dealer network for the American brand cars. Oh Ford is pulling out of the Japanese market thus the current owners are just out of luck.

Trump is wrong it is the American brands that refuse to adapt to the Japanese market. Japanese vehicle makers conformed to the American market.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

oyatoi, you can not force the Japanese people to buy American vehicles. As to "patriotic duty", there are a lot of Americans that feel it is their duty to buy American. If only the Americans would develop a extensive network of dealers and most of all import to Japan vehicles Japanese want to buy. Japan is home of the small easy to park vehicle not the large expensive to own, hard to park large American vehicle. Again soon all Fords will be orphans without dealer support.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@oyatoi, there's a reason why Japanese and korean cars are the top manufacturers. Outside the US, nobody wants to drive US cars. Not in Europe, not in Asia.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Washington: Do as we say or we will put sanctions on you, topple the government or invade you. Oh, we cant invade you we still occupy you.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Japanese food is more expensive because it is healthy and natural, not brown, deep fried and full of hormones and chemicals.

japanese cars are superior. American weapons aren’t as good as Russian ones or as cheap as Chinese ones.

but abe will do as told.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites