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United States Trade Representative Mickey Kantor today announced decisions and initiated actions in three important trade areas: Title VII/discrimination in foreign government procurement; the initiation of a review of Japan's compliance with the provisions of our bilateral Supercomputer Agreement; and special 301/protection of intellectual property rights.

"Since assuming my responsibilities as USTR, I have repeatedly expressed my commitment to enforcing the law as Congress has written it, and insuring that our trading partners adhere to those agreements that they enter into with us," Ambassador Kantor noted.

"Enforcing the law and holding countries to their agreements are crucial in several respects: to opening foreign markets to U.S. manufactured goods, agricultural products and services; to building support here in the United States for an open trading system; and ultimately, to confidence in, and the credibility of, the trading system."

Ambassador Kantor's decisions demonstrate the Clinton Administration's resolve to take strong measures to ensure comparable market access and intellectual property protection for U.S. products -- measures which are key to this Administration's policy of opening markets and creating trade opportunities for American companies and jobs for American workers.

Ambassador Kantor identified Japan pursuant to Title VII provisions of the 1988 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, which calls for the identification of countries that discriminate against U.S. firms in their government procurement practices. Identification under this statute requires that negotiations to end the discrimination be initiated immediately and, absent resolution, provides for sanctions, subject to Presidential discretion.