Brock Forecasts Barriers if Trade Deficits Continue

WASHINGTON — U.S. Trade Representative William E. Brock said today that if the United States continues to face severe trade deficits, tough protective measures might be needed against America’s trading partners.

“It might be time in a number of instances to do more than talk,” Brock said.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Brock was not specific on what steps or which countries he had in mind.

Much of the questioning from committee members focused on Japanese refusal to open its markets to U.S. forestry products, beef or manufactured goods.

If anything, Brock said the Japanese have become even more adamant in their unwillingness to remedy the imbalance in the value of U.S. exports to Japan compared with what comes to U.S. shores from Tokyo and other ports.