Japanese car makers will curb theirexports to the European Community (EC) following an unofficial
directive from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
(MITI), automobile industry sources said.
    Some sources said exports to the EC this year are likely to
be at most unchanged from last year's 1.10 mln units and may
even fall due to an anticipated slackening of EC economic
growth and increasing trade friction.
    Last week, MITI vice minister for international affairs
Makoto Kuroda said the ministry had asked car makers to
exercise prudence in exporting to Europe.
    Japanese car makers boosted exports to the EC in January to
build up depleted vehicle inventories, industry sources said.
    Japan's vehicle exports to Europe in January rose 38 pct
from a year earlier to 174,133 units.
    In December, exports fell 70.4 pct year-on-year as makers
curbed shipments to meet an earlier directive from MITI to
limit 1986 exports, they said.
 REUTER
