APRIL 1983

ANTIMONOPOLY LAW & INDUSTRIAL POLICY

Powerful Forces Move for Major Revision of Antimonopoly Law

MITI Punishes Major Retailer in Relation to Restriction on Large Retailers

GM-Toyota Tieup

FTC Hits Oranomin C Drink on Resale Price Maintenance

MITI Causes Flat Bosoms?

FTC Orders Soda Ash Cartel to Break Up

International Aircraft Cooperation

MITI Eases Safety Rules at Petrochemical Plants

Styrene Monomer Joint Sales Firm

Ethylene Makers Seek Extension of Cartel

Joint Sales For Resin Firms

Foreigners Hit Structurally Recessed Industries Law

Japanese Interpretations of the Structurally Recessed Industries Law

Technopolis Law Looks Likely

Aluminum Industry Regrouping

Cement Industry Applies for Cartel

Mechanized Information Industry Promotion Law Revision

Venture Capital Activities

Semiconductors

Race to Develope Super LSI

Antitrust Charges on Japanese 64K Chips

Japanese Supercomputers

MITI Causes Office Automation Standardization

Structural Improvement of Brass Bar Industry

MITI to promote International Development of Biotechnology

Saitama Prefecture to Provide Subsidies to Use Robots

Hokkaido and Hokuriku Regions Try to Induce Foreign Firms

Ishikawa Prefecture to Provide Subsidies Amounting to a Record Billion yen

Technician Law to be Revised

Saitama Prefecture to Provide 5 Year Credit Inducement for Firms

Easing Factory Restriction Laws

Polyvinyl Chloride Industry and Structurally Recessed Industry Law

Outline of the Technopolis Law

AVIATION

United Airlines to Start Pricing War

Criminal Liability on 1982 JAL Crash

ENERGY

Electric Utility Suit

Oil Price Reduction and Japans Energy Policy

ENVIRONMENT

Metro Tokyo to Restrict Karaoke

NOX and Household Waste Water

Temporary Ban on the Sea Disposal of Low Level Radioactive Waste

FINANCE

Bad Debt Reserve for Loans to Developing Countries

Export Insurance Sought for Overseas Lease Agreements

Illegal International Circulation of Japanese Yen Checks

Japanese City Banks Assisting US Export-Import Bank in Financing

MOF to Authorize Cash Dispensers Inside Companies

Securities Firms to Launch Individual Loan Service Secured by Government Bonds

First National Government Bonds with Floating Interest Rates

MOF to Authorize Minibranches for Securities Firms

Japan Steel Bond Issue Breakd Securities Companies Grip on Overseas Bond Issues

Domestic Trading of Foreign Issued Certificates of Deposit

Fraudulent Futures Transactions Increasing in non-Hong Kong Areas

Stock Manipulation Case - Prosecurition Asks Two Years of Prison

Venture Capital - Tokyo Stock Exchange Eases Regs

New Securities Issuing Standards

Insurance Company Need Not Pay for Death of Person Borrowing Car

Government May Raise Auto Insurance Rates

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Charges Filed on Computer Secrets Theft

MITI Hits IBM on Misuse of Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

Pacific Basin Patent Information Exchange

Gene and Cell Bank

Fake Bag Maker Arrested

Parody Photo Case

Deceptive Nissan Ads

LABOR

Auto Parts Industry to Receive Government Labor Subsidies

Historic Labor Agreement on Robots

Kinokuniya to Stop Sex Discrimination?

Robot Safety Guidelines

LAND

Eminent Domain Compensation Rights Weakened

Measures to Promote Stable Supplies of Housing Land

Real Estate Problem Resolution Institution to be Established

Condominium Rebuilding Rules

MARINE

MITI to Counter Marine Shipping Line Cartels with Shippers Cartel

US Pressures Japan to Support International Whaling Commission

PHARMACEUTICALS

Nippon Chemiphar Suspension Ends

Another Drug Data Fabrication Case

TAX

IRS-Toyota Tax Dispute Continues

Average Farmers UnderReport Income by Average of 3 million yen

Pervasive Tax Evasion

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NTT Improves Procurement

Van Bill Delayed

Cable TV Ban Dropped

Standardization Push

Retailers Data Feedback System

NTT to Rationalize Data Communications Service

Keidanren Wants Independent Satellite Technology

TRADE

Ferroalloy Dumping Suit

Japanese Government to Investigate Pakistani Yarn Subsidies

New Dumping Study Group Established

Construction Ministry Seeks Export Insurance Approval for Iraq Project

List of Foreigners Frustrations in Japan

Product Standard Review

US Reciprocity Bill

Local Contents Bill

Alaskan Fuel Exports to Japan

IBM - Hitachi - Software Copyright

Marubeni Confesses to Steel Dumping in US

Harley Davidson and Japanese Motorcycle Makers

Polyester Dumping Investigation Stalling Exports

Dumping in Bearings

Fasteners Case Rejected

Military Technology Still Hot Subject

Defense Department Forces Japanese Firm to Sell Subsidiary

Trade Statistics

Japan's Entertainment Trade Deficiti

US Robot Makers Seek Protection

Baseball Bat Issue Resolved

US Suit on Japanese Polyester Textile Dumping

IBM - Hitachi Industrial Espionage Case Resolved

France to Also Limit Radio Transceiver Imports

EC Highly Evaluates Japan's Latest Trade Package

VCR Exports to the USA up

France Calls for European VCR Alliance

European Tariffs on Digital Audio Discs

EC Investigating Japan Peroxide Dumping

US-Japan Machine Tool Trade Problems

UK Seeks Japanese Action on Trade

French Dissatisfied with Japanese Actions

US Takes Japan to GATT on Leather Quotas

US Soybeans Blocked

Beef and Oranges

Imported Beef to be Sold at 20% Discount Once a Month

US Steel Industry Refiles Trade Suit

Korea Continues to Maintain Restraints on Imports From Japan

Australia Concerned on Agricultural Taxes

Auto Export Curb to Canada

The Yen and International Trade

US Plywood Standards Approved for Japan

US Strictly Monitoring LSI imports