§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the current imbalance in trade between Japan and the United Kingdom, the European Economic Community and the United States of America; and what the consequences are for world trade stability if current trends are not reversed.
§ The Prime MinisterThe United Kingdom, the European Community and the United States each had a substantial deficit in their visible trade with Japan in 1984. We and our Community partners have expressed strong concern about the mounting trade and current account surpluses being accumulated by Japan and about the consequent strain placed upon the multilateral trading system through the impetus given to protectionist pressures.