William Bywater, president of theInternational Union of Electronic Workers, called on President
Reagan to retaliate against Japan for unfair practices in
semiconductor trade.
    He said in a statement a crash program was needed in the
semiconductor industry to prevent the United States from
becoming "one of the world's industrial lightweights."
    Bywater's remarks came as the White House Economic Policy
Council prepared for a Thursday meeting to decide what
sanctions if any should be taken against Japan for alleged 
violations of a U.S.-Japanese semiconductors agreement.
    The pact, agreed to last July, called for Tokyo to end
selling semiconductors at below cost and to open its home
market to U.S. goods. In return, Washington agreed to forego
antidumping duties on Japanese semiconductors.
    But U.S. officials have said that while Japan has stopped
dumping in the U.S. market, it has not ended third country
dumping; nor has it opened its market to U.S. semiconductors.
    Japan yesterday, in an effort to ward off U.S. action,
ordered a cutback in semiconductors production as a way to
force prices up and end the dumping.
    Bywater, in his statement, said he backed a Defense Science
Board task force proposal to set up a consortium to develop new
electronic products and manufacturing processes and make the
U.S. industory more competitive.
    But he added the industry could not wait for legislation to
pass and that action was required now to help the depressed
electronic industry.
    Bywater said, "I urge the Reagan Administration to take full
and severe action immediately against Japan by invoking the
retaliatory steps that are permitted under U.S. law and GATT
(General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)."
 Reuter
