The Japan side of the cash-for-clunkers complaint:
Satoshi Miura, of the Japanese Embassy in DC, stated that Detroit could participate in the program if it followed the same import rules as "many others." The US companies, according to Miura, are using different rules which don't require the same emissions testing. He also noted that the program is not only for stimulus, but for the environment. The Detroit News.
I shall now return to 2009 and never again enter the now near moot Detroit/Japan auto debate.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
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Well, there you are. What does Detroit want? Easy access for the cars it sells to the few American embassy officials in Japan, or a more restrictive set of criteria to bring their clunkers in line with other cars?
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. auto industry in the states bitched for import restrictions in the 70s because of the market share of the big bad Japanese--who were making more appropriate cars in a post-oil shock era. When they got the "voluntary" restrictions from MITI, after much brow-beating from Congress and the president, Detroit didn't take the opportunity to retool, and its cars still suck.
My advice: Just buy a Toyota and get over it.
I remember the days of the 80s well. I completely agree that Detroit's problems had/have little to do with access to the Japanese market.
ReplyDeleteThe initial "lack of fairness" assertion of the complaint got to me though, as it does exist in other areas. (If "fairness" actually exists anywhere.) I have to remind myself yet again to check more than one source for those things.
I guess it shows how far Detroit has fallen that it has to ask for a "symbolic" exception.