Bargaining with Japan: What American Pressure Can and Cannot Do

Schoppa offers a detailed critical examination of the outcome of recent U.S.-Japan trade talks, focusing on the Bush administration's Structural Impediments Initiative and the more recent Clinton Framework talks. He provides a comprehensive account of the political climate on both sides of the Pacific, drawing lessons about which tactics are most likely to work best for the U.S. Before new policies are established, we must understand why neither administration was able to compel Japan to end anti-competitive practices that inhibit the access of U.S. firms to Japanese consumers.